LA RIOJA ALTA Torre de Oña Martelo Rioja Reserva 2012
- SKU:
- 2612933
- UPC:
- 2210051730599
94 points “There’s a level of elegance and refinement here and this wine will age into a beautiful mellow maturity over the course of the next decade. It has all the ingredients to become a polished classic mature Rioja.” – Dr Jamie Goode WineAnorak.com
93 points “This is the first release and shows a new style from the owners of Rioja Alta. Real freshness.” – James Suckling
92 points “An impressive debut… This new wine will only be produced in certain vintages cooler years with gentle tannins that allow for long and balanced aging.” – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
17 points “Gamey but also fresh with good definition and structure. Very complete. Well done!” – Jancis Robinson MW
This bottle presents a rare opportunity to try a first from La Rioja Alta. Our wine buyer has described the Torre de Oña Martelo Rioja Reserva 2012 as: “A gorgeous bush vine Rioja to share with friends over dinner. Lush textured full of finesse and wonderfully modern.”
2012 was the inaugural vintage of Martelo Reserva – a modern Rioja that will only be made in exceptional years. Crafted from predominantly Tempranillo picked from 60-year-old vines plus a field blend of Mazuelo Garnacha and Viura. The grapes were chosen from exquisite plots in the Martelo Camino de la Iglesia Altos de Vallecilla and Las Cuevas estates. The wine was matured in a blend of American and French oak for 24 months resulting in a savoury Rioja with a rich depth and an almost Burgundian class to it. La Rioja Alta tend to choose the bottle shape to let you know whether the wine is more influenced by Burgundy or Bordeaux and that curved bottle tells you all you need to know. Sometimes modern Riojas can feel overblown with too much sweet New World- style fruit but this is a far more refined and elegant style. Dense and sleek black fruit well-integrated oak concentrated cherry spice vanilla and then at the end the gentlest notes of tar grilled meat and balsamic. There’s a succulence to the finish that has you reaching for another sip almost immediately. Serve with good company and maybe roasts game sausage stews or grilled aubergine.
Formed in 1890 by three families – the Ardanzas the Aranas and the Alberdis – La Rioja Alta sets the benchmark for the entire Rioja region. They're famed for their classic Spanish reds which are aged for an inordinately long time in American oak barrels lovingly made by their own cooper. This wonderfully traditional producer still carries out its racking (the process of moving wine between barrels to remove the sediment) by hand and candlelight the old-school way making them a go-to for all connoisseurs of Rioja.
SKU No.: 2612933
Style No.: 656624
Region: Rioja
Grapes: Tempranillo,Mazuelo,Grenache
Closure: Cork
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 14%
Volume: 750ml
Allergens: Sulphites
94 points “There’s a level of elegance and refinement here and this wine will age into a beautiful mellow maturity over the course of the next decade. It has all the ingredients to become a polished classic mature Rioja.” – Dr Jamie Goode WineAnorak.com
93 points “This is the first release and shows a new style from the owners of Rioja Alta. Real freshness.” – James Suckling
92 points “An impressive debut… This new wine will only be produced in certain vintages cooler years with gentle tannins that allow for long and balanced aging.” – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
17 points “Gamey but also fresh with good definition and structure. Very complete. Well done!” – Jancis Robinson MW
This bottle presents a rare opportunity to try a first from La Rioja Alta. Our wine buyer has described the Torre de Oña Martelo Rioja Reserva 2012 as: “A gorgeous bush vine Rioja to share with friends over dinner. Lush textured full of finesse and wonderfully modern.”
2012 was the inaugural vintage of Martelo Reserva – a modern Rioja that will only be made in exceptional years. Crafted from predominantly Tempranillo picked from 60-year-old vines plus a field blend of Mazuelo Garnacha and Viura. The grapes were chosen from exquisite plots in the Martelo Camino de la Iglesia Altos de Vallecilla and Las Cuevas estates. The wine was matured in a blend of American and French oak for 24 months resulting in a savoury Rioja with a rich depth and an almost Burgundian class to it. La Rioja Alta tend to choose the bottle shape to let you know whether the wine is more influenced by Burgundy or Bordeaux and that curved bottle tells you all you need to know. Sometimes modern Riojas can feel overblown with too much sweet New World- style fruit but this is a far more refined and elegant style. Dense and sleek black fruit well-integrated oak concentrated cherry spice vanilla and then at the end the gentlest notes of tar grilled meat and balsamic. There’s a succulence to the finish that has you reaching for another sip almost immediately. Serve with good company and maybe roasts game sausage stews or grilled aubergine.
Formed in 1890 by three families – the Ardanzas the Aranas and the Alberdis – La Rioja Alta sets the benchmark for the entire Rioja region. They're famed for their classic Spanish reds which are aged for an inordinately long time in American oak barrels lovingly made by their own cooper. This wonderfully traditional producer still carries out its racking (the process of moving wine between barrels to remove the sediment) by hand and candlelight the old-school way making them a go-to for all connoisseurs of Rioja.
SKU No.: 2612933
Style No.: 656624