Barrel fermented wines - ABANDO

Whites and Roses have the possibility to be elaborated in a different and special way. Is the one, that we use for ABANDO white and rose barrel fermented and we are going to explain you the particular method for these wines.

The alcoholic fermentation is produced into the american oak barrels in case of ABANDO. Each winery can use a different kind of oak or from another origen. This make easier a natural temperature control during the fermentation (because there is a large cooling surface to small amount of liquid), an spontaneus clarification and a quick elimination of yeast, having a better assembly with the flavors provided by the oak. The result are wines structured and elegant with soft oak flavours.

For a perfect elaboration we have to do the “Bâtonage”, a french word that means blend or move the wine to mix it very well with the lees (yeast). The sediments will transmit to the wine flavours, texture, complexity and struture.

Finaly, we keep our ABANDO wines during aproximatly 6 months into the barrel. The result and conclusion are yours. An spectacular wine with a rich textura, excellent acidity, persistent tasty finish and with a strong structure. All these qualities will improve with a period of bottle-ageing. 

Rioja, a Designation with a long history and tradition

Rioja, our region, is a Denominación de Origen Calificada (D.O.C. Qualified designation of origin) with a huge variety of climates and relief, so that is why it is divided into three different subregions called:

-         Rioja Alta

-         Rioja Baja

-         Rioja Alavesa

Where winelovers will find different varieties and wine styles. Bodegas Santalba is located in Gimileo, heart of Rioja Alta.

Rioja Wine from the D.O.C. is identify because of its special labels which are numbered and each winery will have a limited number of them, depends on the grapes its harvest. Here you have some history about Rioja:

1787: The Real Economic Society of Cosecheros de Rioja is created to increase the wine market and vines cultivation.

1790: The first assembly is celebrated by the Real Economic Society of Cosecheros de Rioja.

1878: The first commission against the phylloxera is celebrated.

1892: The “Estación de Viticultura y Enología” in Haro is founded to control the wine quality.

1902: A new law to define the origin of Rioja wines is created.

1926: The Consejo Regulador is created to control as a supreme organism.

1991: The Designation of Origin starts to be Qualified "Rioja".

The best choice is if you visit us in Rioja and Bodegas Santalba, where we will show you the most beautiful landscapes, curiosities and rules we must follow to elaborate our specials Rioja wines, and you will have the marvelous possibility to taste some wine.

Wine process - Part II

We continue with the wine process and as we told you in our last post, with the FERMENTATION, one of the most important points during the elaboration process.

The grape juice needs to overcome two different fermentations, the alcoholic and the malolactic.

ALCOHOLIC FERMENTATION
The alcoholic fermentation is the process when the sugar turns into alcohol.
That is with are needed the yeasts, microorganism that we can find naturally in the grape skin (kind of white dust you can find out side the grape skin).

The oxigen is the responsable to start this fermentation, because of the yeasts need it in their growth period.
However, at the end of the fermentation the quantity of oxigen must be smaller to keep the ethyl alcohol and get the acetic acid. 

From the alcoholic fermentation, we obtain heat energy and we have to control the temperature because if it increase too much,(25-30 ºC) the yeasts could die and the fermentation will be stooped.

Another product from the alcoholic fermentation is the gas, carbon dioxide and it cause the bubbles and the boiling effect, and of course the characteristic aroma from the fermentation. There is a video from our tanks during this period, it is amazing! More than 30.000 litres... 

                       
This boiling effect makes the grape skins go to the top of the tank (solids) and create the "hat". This "hat" protect the grape juice from bacteria and another microorganism from the skin and also is from we get the tanins and the color, aromas and  another susbtances like Resveratrol located in the skin.

Wine process - Part I

After to show this grafic on our Social Networks, some friends have been asking about it and that is why we want to explain you our "know how" of Rioja Wine Process. We hope you will enjoy it and please, if you have any question, ask us

As you know, all the process starts in the vineyards, after the hard work done during the year around the 10th of October, the HARVEST starts in Bodegas Santalba. Depends on the year, the climate for example will be an important factor to get different quality. The Consejo Regulador from D.O.Ca. Rioja will calificate the harvest after some tests and facts as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Satisfactory and Average.

All the grapes are not from the same vine and vineyard, so they will have different features. For example, if they come from very old vineyards, like the grapes we use for our Santalba Single Vineyard (http://www.santalba.com/vinos/?acc=vinos&fam=8&idv=17&idc=8 ) they will have "special" characteristis to survive a long ageing process into the barrels and bottles. That is why not every year we have these special wines. 

 In the picture above the text, you can see the grape process falling down into the machine,  where the grapes will be separated the fruit from the "green" part by the destemmer. The green part will be rejected and the grape, quite broken goes to the tanks where the grape juice in touch with the grapes will do the maceration.
After this, we send the grapes to the press. This process now is done by very modern machines but the traditional way to press the grapes were like the picture, done by people in half barrels, just walking above them. 

Now starts a very important moment in the wine process the FERMENTATION. We have two different the ALCHOLIC and the MALOLACTIC and we will explain the differences between them soon.

The prune - Working hard at the vineyards

In Bodegas Santalba the pruning and the pre-pruning are done to increase the quality of the grapes and also to make longer the vines life. .It will reduce the veg part of the plant so the growth and yields will be limited to get better results and  improve the wine quality.

 

Pruning at the vineyard



This is a very important point to obtain quality wines, because we can not forget that all the wine process start at the vineyards, so the hard work and care that we have now with the vines will be tralate into wine quality and atributes.


The grape quantity is not related with the green part or vegetable growth of the vines. If the vines have lots of fruits they will have a small size and will be really diffcult their maturation, so again, the quality will be affected.

The prune - In the traditional way with a modern scissor

 

In general, the vines can grow more than 30 meter high so from the prune we get the "sarmientos" and we will use them for BBQ as wood, they are great to cook Lamb chops (very tipycal from Rioja). Only the buds located at the end of the branches where the sap is, will be the ones that will improve, the others near the trunk will not sprout.



The prune objetive is to reduce the number of branches and the length to make the vine stronger, with a longer life and improving the quality of the fruits.