Miguel Merino - Reserva 2013
Pairing Suggestions
Miguel Merino - Reserva 2013 (91 TSW)
Miguel Merino is a family owned winery placed in Briones (Rioja Alta). The annual production is just over 30,000 bottles. The property, of some three thousand meters, includes a house of stone, built in 1818, where the family home and the offices are; the aging room, with capacity for 350 barrels and about 90.000 bottles; the new vinification and bottling rooms; and an experimental vineyard of 1.020 square meters. The target of the company is to produce the best quality possible and to maintain the volume.
Twenty years ago, he restored an old 19th Century house on the outskirts of the town. On the adjoining land he built facilities for vinification, barrel and bottle aging and planted a small experimental vineyard. Now, as one of the smallest and youngest wineries in Spain — his first vintage was 1994 — his wines are among the most prestigious in the country, and we he is exporting them to over 30 markets.
About this wine:
A classic coupage of Rioja Alta: Tempranillo (96%) and a bit of Graciano (4%)
The vineyards are planted in the 60’s in steep limestone slopes of Briones. The grapes were hand-picked and transported and transported to the winery.
They don´t pre or post macerate the grapes: they try to follow a controlled and gentle fermentation in small vats to keep all the subtle aromas and flavours from the vineyards. Malolactic fermentation in new oak barrels.
After that aging for nearly two years in 23 barrels built by Murúa with American oak staves and French oak heads. The wine was racked every six months and the barrels were topped every six weeks to minimize its oxidation. Only 6.108 bottles produced.
My tasting notes:
In the glass a deep ruby red color.
On the medium(+) nose aromas of ripe cherries, blackberries and leather with hints of cedar, vanilla and cigarbox.
On the palate dry, medium(+) bodied with nice matured tannins and acidity. Flavours are a recall of the nose with extra spices and dark berries on the medium(+) length finish.