Aster Finca El Otero 2021

Drink now or cellar for up to 11 years. Decant 1 hour before serving. La Rioja Alta winery is headquartered in Haro and has made exceptional traditional-style Rioja reds for over 130 years since its foundation in 1890. In the 1990s the estate began to explore expanding their operation into Ribera del Duero and conducted extensive research of the soil, grapes and climate of several subzones. In 1991 they finally selected the small town of Anguix for their new winery, planting vineyards on the propertys finest sites. This lively and vibrant red is crafted from 100% Tinta del Pais, the local Ribera del Duero name for Tempranillo. The vineyard sits on gentle slopes in an arid area where the poor quality soils encourage the vines to dig deep for nutrients and moisture. This helps produce intensely concentrated and deeply flavoured grapes which are harvested in the early hours of the morning to preserve their freshness and natural character. Once in the winery the grapes are soaked for 7 days and then fermented in neutral tanks. The best batches are then transferred to new French oak barrels for 62 days with regular lees stirring. The next stage is the maturation with the best barrels kept for 16 months before the final blend is decided and bottled.