Bodegas LAN Xtreme Ecologico Rioja Crianza
Country: Spain Region: Rioja
Varietal: 100% Tempranillo
Category: Red Wine Style: Dry
Producer: Bodegas LAN
Description:
Founded in 1972, Bodegas Lan combines tradition with innovation to produce benchmark Rioja wines. María Barúa has been the head winemaker and technical director of Bodegas Lan since 2002. Born and raised in Rioja, María is an oak ageing expert. Just as the different plots within Viña Lanciano are matched to specific grape varieties, María carefully tailors the oak ageing to each wine, working with a wide range of French, American, Pyrenean and Caucasian oak from different coopers. Bodegas Lan was also the first producer in Rioja to pioneer a hybrid barrel with American oak staves and French oak heads.
These hybrid barrels are used to age the Rioja Crianza and Rioja Reserva, which both blend Tempranillo with Mazuelo (and a small percentage of Garnacha for the Crianza).
Vineyard:
The Tempranillo grapes for the 'Ecológico' come from the 'Mantible Ecológico' parcel within the famed Viña Lanciano vineyard - a prime site within Rioja Alta, located on a meander of the River Ebro. The five-hectare, organically farmed plot overlooks the ruins of the Roman bridge of Mantible and sits at 400 metres above sea level with an east-west aspect. Soils are composed of sandy loam and large 'canto rodado' stones and all of the grapes are hand harvested.
