Pujanza Cisma 2012

Pujanza Cisma is the star wine from Bodegas y Viñedos Pujanza. It's made from Tempranillo grapes from the Finca La Valcabada, a small vineyard of 0.8 ha planted in 1925 by Carlos San Pedro's grandfather. Lying on sandy soils, the old ungrafted vines bring forth very poor yields but of a quality that only a few select plants can provide. Work carried out in the vineyard targets excellence, removing superfluous clusters so as to concentrate all the juice in each remaining berry. Grapes are harvested by hand and with a selection of individual berries. After destalking and a light cold maceration, the must ferments in wooden tanks, and subsequently matures in new French oak barrels for 22 months. It's a refined red, appearing a purple colour and offering a fragrant nose, with ripe black fruit and underlying smoke, spices and incense. On the palate, it has weight, and it expands, yet it doesn't lose elegance or freshness for a second. A balsamic and mineral Rioja, with an international profile, able to continue improving for a long time in bottle.