Izadi, `Larrosa` Rioja Rosado
75cl Bottle
Alcohol (ABV): 14.5%
Izadi, `Larrosa` Rioja Rosado
Rioja Alavesa, Rioja, Spain
An exceptional award winning rose which features prominently in Michelin starred restaurants across Spain. Created from 50 year-old, low yielding Garnacha vines.
TASTING NOTES
This rosé has a lovely pale salmon colour. It has aromas of strawberry, raspberry and red cherries, alongside notes of white peach and pear. The finish is long and very elegant.
PRODUCER
Izadi is based in Villabuena in Rioja Alavesa, the highest part of Rioja. The hillside winery (whose precipitous slope allows for gravity assisted production) was founded in 1987 by Gonzalo Antón as a modern breakaway from the traditional style of wine produced by other members of his family. As his son Lalo, who now runs the estate, says: "the whole concept of Izadi really started around wanting to produce wine to satisfy the needs of our friends over a meal". Izadi produces modern, international wines that are true to their roots and a natural expression of the area.
VINEYARDS
The Garnacha grapes for this rosé were sourced from a selection of high altitude (790 metres above sea level) vineyards on claychalky soils with goblet trained low-yielding vines. The low yileding vines wre planted in the 1960's, while the climate in this area is Atlantic with a Mediterranean influence.
VINTAGE
2018 was a complex year with a generally cold, wet spring delaying budbreak and the damp weather during flowering leading to higher than usual incidences of mildew in the vineyard. Early summer was initially rainy, but a hot August allowed the vines to catch up and ripening occurred gradually through the cooler than usual September which helped the grapes achieve great balance and flavour. Generally, the 2018 vintage was a generous harvest producing fresh wines with lower alcohols than recent years.
VINIFICATION
All grapes were hand harvested. Once in the winery they were destemmed and gently crushed, then the free-run juice was fermented in stainless- steel tanks and kept in contact with its lees for several weeks. This wine saw no malolactic fermentation or oak ageing, to maintain its vibrancy.