Queiron El Arca Single Vineyard Rioja

This is the pinnacle of the Ontañón family. A Viñedo Singular wine, coming from a plot first planted in 1892 with vines over a century old. In this plot, vines are replaced by layering, where any gaps are filled by taking a cane from an original vine and layering it under the soil, so as it can use the deep roots of the original vine. Yields here are tiny and in 2019 this vineyard made only three barrels. These century old Garnacha vines in poor sandy soils create an elegant and perfumed style. The winemaking is clever. Fully destemmed with fermentation in American oak barrels for twelve days on skins, ageing 
initially takes place in second use French oak to not overpower the wine and then to aid texture the wine is aged for twenty months in a concrete egg before bottling. This is only available in single wooden gift boxes with very limited volumes. A special wine that connects us to the end of the 19th century and a very different world.

Complex aromas of red berries, balsamic notes, a touch of rose petal, aniseed and mediterranean herbs. The palate has bramble fruit and well-integrated oak characters, a hint of black pepper and orange peel, fine polished tannins giving good structure and a silky, elegant mouthfeel.