Bodegas Lan, Ecológico Rioja Crianza 2021

The wine is deep red in colour, with an expressive nose of ripe black and red fruits, complemented by subtle notes of black pepper and dark chocolate. The palate is full-bodied and powerful, showcasing generous flavours of blackberry, blackcurrant and ripe red fruit, layered with hints of vanilla, spice and cloves. Well-balanced with a smooth, rounded finish.

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.

The 2021 vintage started with a dry winter and spring, followed by a mild summer. The harvest was marked by some torrential downpours of up to 150 litres, accompanied by hail in the first half of June. These weather events notably complicated the work in the vineyard and led to one of the smallest harvests in the recent years. However, the health of the bunches, which were small and well aerated, was excellent, with great ripeness, good acidity levels, colour and depth of flavour.

The hand-harvested Tempranillo grapes were sorted twice, first by bunch and then by individual berry to ensure that only those in pristine condition made it into the final wine. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts took place in two semi-truncated cone-shaped tanks. During this time there were regular pump overs to optimise extraction of colour and flavour. After fermentation, the wine was transferred to new French oak barrels for a minimum of 18 months, where malolactic fermentation happened spontaneously.