Marques de Pluma Crianza 2007, Ribera del Duero

This wine is made at a winery in the Ribera del Duero area of Spain which is owned by Bodegas Pinord whose main winery is in Vilafranca del Penedes with a second winery in Priorat.  This wine has recently won a gold medal in the Vinhoreca awards which judges wines from all over Spain on their quality, value for money, presentation and packaging.  It won one of only four gold awards, and only twenty one medals were awarded in total.

Grapes:  100% Tempranillo

Winemaking:  The grapes are harvested by hand and then put into a maceration vat to retain the aromas.  This is followed by 21 days of fermentation at a controlled temperature of 23C.  The wine is racked and put into French and American oak barrels for 12 months and then bottled for further ageing.

Appearance:  Cherry red with a slight hint of blue

Aroma:  The primary red fruit flavours combined with nuts mix perfectly with vanilla, spices and cocoa developed during the barrel ageing

Taste:  Mouth filling, fleshy and voluptuous.  The wine has an excellent balance between tannins and acidity.  It has a pleasant mouth feel and lingering finish.

Serve:  With red meats, game and hard cheeses.