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Region: Spain - Rioja
Grapes: 95% Tempranillo, 5% Viura
Alcohol: 14.5%
Notes on the Wine
Orlegi is a return to the traditional light, fruit-forward wines of Rioja Alavesa. Utilizing whole-cluster fermentation for some of the grapes and indigenous yeasts, this is a classic, young Tempranillo.
Grape clusters are put into stainless steel tanks whole, without destemming
or crushing. It undergoes a partial carbonic maceration; the beginning
of fermentation is intracellular, temperature-controlled at 24°C. This is
followed by maceration on the skins for eight to ten days while native yeasts
present on the grapes complete alcoholic fermentation. Orlegi rests in tank
until bottling in January.
Notes on the Producer
Owned by Florentino Martínez Monje, Luberri is located in Elciego in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. Florentino farms 35 hectares of old vines located principally between the villages of Elciego and Laguardia.
A farmer at heart, Florentino was the original winemaker at Artadi before establishing his own winery in 1992. He made a name for himself and his estate by resurrecting the traditional style of semi-carbonic maceration of Rioja wine of Rioja. Florentino is very hands-on at the winery, participating on all aspects of production, but his true love is working in the vineyards. All the plots are farmed with minimal treatment of the soils and vines. Individual vineyard sites are fermented and vinified seperately. By keeping yields low (around 34 to 45 hectoliters per hectare) Florentino extracts grapes with great concentration and flavor.
