Bodegas Arzuaga Crianza is the flagship wine from this leading Ribera del Duero producer. It is made from Tempranillo with the addition of 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and is aged in oak barrels for 16 months. It is a powerful wine with a heady and complex nose of ripe dark red and black fruit, balsamic notes, sweet spice and roast meat notes. The palate is remarkability soft and long with wonderful elegance. There is great mineral freshness behind the dark textured berry fruit and the finish has wonderful, sweet spice notes of dark chocolate, roasted coffee and black liquorice.
Bodegas Arzuaga was founded in the early 1990’s by Florentino Arzuaga when he purchased the La Planta estate, just east of Valladolid in the high-altitude region of Ribera del Duero. The estate itself consists of over 1400 hectares of land, of which, just over 200 are under vine. There is an abundance of olive trees and a bewildering array of wildlife, flora and fauna on the estate along with a superbly modern hotel, spa and restaurant. It’s pretty much the perfect holiday location!
The high-altitude vineyards sit at 950 meters above sea level which results in a unique climate through the growing season of hot days and cool, humid nights. This allows for a slow maturation process which leads to ripe grapes with retained acidity, perfect for making big yet fresh and elegant wines.
