Mi Lugar 'Queriron' White & Red Rioja Gift Box with 2 x Glasses

If you think Rioja is boring or staid, then this is the wine to change your mind. Rigorous selection of only the best fruit from high altitude vineyards, and from Bodegas Ontañón's new winery in the centre of Quel, has produced one of the new Rioja classifications: a 'Vino de Pueblo', which can only be produced from family-owned vineyards within a named village.

This gift pack come with a red, a white and 2 glasses.

The Red:

Predominantly Tempranillo sourced from several selected vineyard parcels in and around Quel, including: El Poeta, La Bartola and Hoyo Judio. All are at altitudes above 600m - low yielding vines which receive no artificial irrigation. Many are plots of old bush vines. After three different stages of selection - in the vineyard, at the winery, and a final selection of the berries after de-stemming - there is a period of pre-fermentation maceration for 5 days, followed by a further 18 day maceration at 22-26ºC. Malolactic fermentation takes place in French oak barrels. Vinification takes place at a new, gravity-fed winery in the centre of Quel with the most up-to-date technology. The finished wine spends 18 months in new oak barrels (80% French and 20% American) with varying levels of toast. After a further 6 months in large (18,000L) French oak foudres, the wine is stored in the winery's calado (underground cellar) before release.

Pronounced aromas of ripe black fruit and blueberries, backed by spice, mocha, fig and balsamic notes. The palate is generous with complex bramble and plum fruit characters, well-integrated oak and bright acidity. It is structured yet elegant with fabulous length.

The White:

The Tempranillo Blanco grapes are sourced from the Finca El Aniceto, at La Encina. This vineyard sits on a plateau at 640 metres altitude, on the slopes of the Pico Gatún, in the Sierra de Yerga zone of Quel. This site is perfect for a very slow, gradual ripening of the grapes. The vines grow alongside aromatic herbs, olive, almond and fruit trees. The soil is very poor - a combination of clay, sand and loam. The grapes are harvested in the early morning and protected with dry ice. Fermentation occurs using indigenous yeasts from the vineyard - it takes place for one week at 14 °C including the skins, then for a further week at 16°C without the skins and with just the free-run must. The end of the fermentation process (3rd and 4th weeks) takes place in 500 litre French oak barrels. After fermentation 85% of the wine stays in barrel for six months ageing on fine lees with some stirring, and the remaining 15% is aged in amphorae for six months (with lees in suspension). The wine remains in bottle for six months before release.

Intense aromas of stone fruit with white blossom and notes of fennel and thyme. The palate is bright and complex with apricot, peach and hints of passion fruit alongside lightly honeyed, brioche and almond characters. The wine has structure based around an elegant medium body, the finish holds all the flavours beautifully, and the notes of oak are very gentle with touches of clove and smoke.