Bodegas Ostatu Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain

歐斯塔圖酒莊珍藏紅葡萄酒

點(diǎn)擊次數(shù)：3602

The 2008 Reserva is sourced from small plots of old vine Tempranillo fermented in small vats and bottled in the spring of 2010 after 16 months aging in oak barrels. It is already developing some complexity, with notes of leather, raw meat, licorice, ink, black pepper and a slight animal hint. The medium-bodied palate displays some grainy tannins, good acidity, with slightly dry finish. Drink 2014-2017. Ostatu is a family winery from the Alavesa zone of Rioja created in 1960 by the Saenz de Samaniego family who have a long tradition as grape growers since the 16th century to craft wines from their 34 hectares of vineyards in Samaniego, Leza y Laguardia and a further 15 hectares they work on behalf of other members of the family. They explained to me that they have two lines of wines, one they like to describe as “sensible” where they want to make traditional wines through blending grapes from different vineyards, and the “singular” one, which are single vineyard. The two ranges have different-styled labels which are quite easy to identify. They currently produce nine different wines, of which I tasted six, all of them highly recommended, and all of them sold at sensible prices. Imported by De Maison Selections, Chapel Hill, NC; tel. (919) 933-4245; www.demaisonselections.com

The 2007 Reserva is a pure Alavesa Tempranillo undergoing 100% malolactic in French oak casks where the wine ages for 16 months. It has another broody, dense bouquet of inky black fruit that refuses to come out and play. The palate is full-bodied with grippy tannins and black plum and blackberry fruit, although it lacks personality and a sense of place. Like the Crianza, it just feels a little labored compared to its peers. Drink 2013-2019. Bodegas Ostatu has been owned by the Saenz de Samaniego family for many generations but has only bottled under their own name since the 1970s. Importer: De Maison Selection LLC, Chapel Hill, NC: tel. (919) 933-4245

The 2006 Ostatu Reserva was fermented with native yeasts and aged for 14 months in French oak. Savory, structured, and sweetly-fruited, this already complex offering will continue to evolve for another 3-4 years with a drinking window extending from 2014 to 2026. Bodegas Ostatu is a family-owned winery in the heart of the Rioja Alavesa region. The average age of the estate’s vines is 50 years. Ostatu’s winemaking consultant is the renowned Hubert de Bouard of Chateau Angelus fame. Importer: Andre Tamers, De Maison Selections, Chapel Hill, NC; www.demaisonselections.com

The 2005 Ostatu Reserva was sourced from older vines and aged in French oak for 14 months. Deep purple-colored, it proffers a slightly brooding bouquet of spice box, incense, tobacco, and blackberry. Structured and dense on the palate, it is packed with spicy fruit. Give it 4-6 years of additional cellaring, and drink it from 2014 to 2025. Importer: Andre Tamers, De Maison Selections, Chapel Hill, NC; www.demaisonselections.com