(EN.) DECANTER 2022 AWARDS CATALOGUE

DECANTER 2022

Awards Catalogue

THE PASSION TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY

Bodegas Cornelio Dinastía S.L. 1st Edition. September 2022.

Decanter 2022 catalogue INDEX

Letter from the director

Why these awards?

Essential tasks on the vines

Some of our vineyards

Logbook

Fermentation and ageing CORNELIO IMPERIAL Signature JM

DECANTER 2022 at a glance

More wines awarded Medals in the last years

INTRODUCTION

Letter from the Director

Our year of glory.

And after the pandemic came the critical situa tion that the world is now suffering: Ukraine and Russia, China and the United States, and all the other countries, due to this conflict of nationalist interests.

The wine business entails producing grapes, fermenting them, ageing them in wood barrels and then, after all of this and with investments in the necessary goods, comes their sale. They are sold on a fragmented market, with thousands of brands, century-old wines... and we have to forge a path through this jungle.

And despite everything, we are succeeding, crea ting our place in the market with our traditional Cornelio wine. Wine made to the beat of the hoe in the land, the clipping of shears, natural treat ments characteristic of organic farming and that, with the dedication and experience of several generations, has achieved awards of the highest degree.

CORNELIO

And, full of pride, we can say... we continue to move forward, because DECANTER has given us a Best in Show award for Cornelio Imperial Red Signature, one of the 50 most awarded wines in the world. Of the 161 bottles awarded, only 50 achieved this great accomplishment, with 97 points and a PLATINUM medal.

Furthermore, we obtained 95 points and a Gold medal for our Cornelio Dinastía Red Crianza. You could say that we have been building up to this for the past 3 vintages, as vintages 2016, 2017 and 2018 of CORNELIO IMPERIAL SIGNATURE obtained 95 points each in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

We reached the climax in the form of this exce llent Best in Show award, obtaining more than the 97 points required for the Platinum medal.

Without a doubt, it was also a great triumph to have won a further two world medals with our wines Cornelio Gran Duque 2016, with 94 points and Cornelio Emperador Reserva 2017, with 92 points.

The wine made on the vine.

La Rioja in BODY and SOUL

06 ” ”

Therefore, as the Managing Director of the winery, I would like to publicly congratulate our technical team and the team as a whole: Roberto, Andrés, Chema… for the awards received.

P.S.: We include a certificate of these awards.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to my paternal and maternal grandparents, wine makers from whom I inherited the best thing in life: the passion to do things the right way, to satisfy thousands of palates. Thank you.

MANAGING DIRECTOR José María Sánchez

One of the 50 most awarded wines in the world

José María Sánchez Antón

THE PASSION TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY

Why these awards?

DECANTER AWARDS /////////////// As noted above, these awards are the result of doing things the right way. And to get things right, what better than applying the experience of our ancestors, who left their blood, sweat and tears in the vines, in past gene rations, when the most basic tools included hoes, ploughs, horses, mules and, in the case of the last generation, tractors.

The family has been able to success fully pool its knowledge, take vital decisions, pour its love and extraordi nary minds into the vines throughout the year and keep a 24-hour watch on them, keeping ahead of pests and other problems suffered by the vines all year round.

Those who work the vines are specia lised staff. Not only the management team, but also all the staff performing tasks related to the vines, who have accumulated several years, even deca des, of experience.

Thanks to their origin, in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, home to the best qua lity grape in La Rioja, they are cared foron a continuous and daily basis. Thanks to our vines in San Vicente, others in San Asensio, some fifty years old, others sixty years old... we can ensure the quality of the grapes used to produce these outstanding wines

Own vineyards make the difference

Having our own vineyards gives us continuity and ena bles the differentia tion of our wines.

THE PASSION TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY

Cornelio Imperial Red Signature JM: our great triumph

THE PASSION TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY

Essential operations

IN THE VINEYARD

1.- Pre-pruning is our first task, cutting long shoots, before proceeding with specialised pruning.

2.- Quality pruning is carried out by specia lised staff, leaving the best shoots and buds as established by the Regulating Committee, comprised of three arms and two spurs on each, and two buds on each spur.

3.- Fertilisation. We use natural fertilisers, compost, giving each vine just the right amount of vigour, without any synthetic fertilisers.

4.- Tilling is carried out to facilitate the flow of rainwater and integrate the compost into the soil.

5.- Preventive treatments are applied using natural products.

6.- After the first shoots appear, the task of debudding is performed to remove all those that are not suitable and those that are overa bundant.

7.- Shoot-thinning is then carried out to prevent the appearance of numerous shoots on each one.

8.- Further pesticide treatments and treatments against diseases are applied through Bordeaux mixture and natural products.

9.- Superficial tilling is implemented to eliminate weeds and aerate the soil.

10.- Cluster-thinning is carried out to eliminate those that are not suitable.

11.- We create vegetable covers to help create a natural microbiota that contributes to controlling pests and diseases.

12.- Specialised harvesting is performed, elimi nating bad clusters.

13.- Manual harvesting is then performed, co llecting the fully ripened and pre-selected clus ters.

14.- Finally, they are transported for sorting on a conveyor belt.

Elementary and essential operations

THE PASSION TO DO THE THINGS THE RIGHT WAY

OUR VINES PLANTED

Along the Golden Mile

The majority of our tasks are performed manually, whenever possible.

All our vines are trained as bush and spread over small plots of land along the Golden Mile (San Vicente, Briones, San Asensio and Ábalos). We use organic treatments, compost as fertiliser and Bor deaux mixture treatment, while sometimes the traditional treatment is not necessary.

Furthermore, when necessary, a micro climate is generated, sowing the suitable seeds. These are the most important tasks for producing a top-quality Tempranillo.

Our vines include:

Santa Tornea Campos

At the foot of Monte Toloño, in the Sierra Cantabria mountains, at an altitude of 590 metres, we find this excellent sun-facing vineyard estate with poor-quality soil, given the rocky base that is less than 40 cm below the surface. It has an average yearly pro duce of 2,500-3,000 Kg/Ha, which, along with its old vines, planted in 1960 in San Vicente de la Sonsierra,

From this area we obtain truly expressive Tempranillo clusters. These vineyards can be found in San Asensio, lo cated on an east-west facing terrace at an altitude of 560 metres, on calcareous-clay soil. This vineyard has pebbles that act as heaters during the ripening season.

Some

vineyards

supplies Viura grapes with a sheer golden hue that turn into a smooth aromatic white wine. All this is reflec ted in the wines obtained from this land, which have won many awards at wine competitions.

Viña Santa Tornea.

Campos Salvos.

THE PASSION TO DO THINGS THE

WAY

Las Canteras Encima del ojo

At this vineyard, located in Briones, we can find old vines, planted in 1970, on calcareous-clay soils at an altitude of 600 metres. This east-facing vineyard brings

us fresh wines with balan ced acidity and the smooth ness of old vineyards that we expect of the Temprani llo grape.

Las Canteras.

Tempranillo vineyard planted before 1970 at an altitude of 580 metres. The age of this vineyard means that it self-regulates, helping with the desired ripening of the Tempranillo grape and providing wonderfully balanced and full-bodied

wines, besides having a high polyphenol content. This east-west facing terroir is located in Briones, on calcareous-clay soil.

Encima del ojo.

Some of our vineyards

La Rad Las Huérfanas

Vines planted at an alti tude of 540 metres in the municipality of San Vi cente de la Sonsierra. The calcareous-clay soil gives us Tempranillo grapes that are small but with a high polyphenol concentration.

The vineyard is north-sou th facing, which produces more unctuousand full-bo died wines.

Planted in 1965, at an altitude of 490 metres, this east-facing vineyard with clay-matted terroir and leached soil is near the terraces of the Ebro valley, in the municipality of San Asensio.This vineyard pro duces two different

varieties: 50% Tempranillo and 50% Viura. The result is small, highly concentra ted and unctuous grapes with balanced acidity.

Las Huérfanas.

La Rad.

THE PASSION

DO

Many more vineyards complete our range of Tempranillo vines, providing us with excellence, the proof of which can be found in our world-class wines.

They say that vineyards and wineries complement each other; a good quality wine requires a good quality grape. As the owners of both the vineyards and the winery, our aim is to produce quali ty, not quantity, of grapes.

THE VINES AND THEIR HARVESTING

Logbook

Based on previous harvests, it is very impor tant to keep a logbook of each vine and its deficiencies, the treatments applied and the diseases suffered, even for each area of the same vine. Thus, when it is time for harves ting, we will know which areas have been most affected and we can take this into ac count when harvesting each area. Then, when the prepared grapes are taken to the winery, after being de-stemmed they are placed in different tanks.

The treatments applied in the field modify and influence the quality of the wine, which is why it is so important to have a duly com pleted logbook; a journal that lists everything that happens in the life of each harvest.

Initial harvesting is carried out by specialised staff prior to final harvesting, removing clus ters that are not fully ripened, or those that have rotten or deficient grapes, etc., depen ding on the year.This leads to fewer mistakes by the harvesting teams, although they are also aware that the above clusters must not be collected, should any have been left by mistake. It is necessary to prevent leaves from falling into the basket, as this gives the wine a bad taste.

The importance of the logbook

THE PASSION TO DO THINGS

Logbook

The day on which harvesting is carried out is fundamental. It should not be humid or too hot, as this can lead to undue water (humidity) or accelerated fermentation (hot gra pes).We recommend harvesting by night, to prevent the loss of aromas and to ensure that fermentation does not begin due to the heat of the day.

Of course, harvesting should not be performed in drizzly or foggy conditions, and if it has rained, the leaves and clusters must be left to dry to prevent any undue water.

As a general rule, we prefer to delay harvesting (red grape) rather than bring it forward as a result of the weather.

Final selection is made on the pic king belt by professional operators who remove flawed grapes, broken leaves, clusters, etc., ensuring that the wine is produced from excellent grapes resulting in maximum quality.

THE VINES AND THEIR HARVESTING

THE PASSION TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY The importance of the logbook

José María and Heidy toasting.

The logbook will give us the keys to get the best wines

LET’S KNOW MORE ABOUT

Fermentation and ageing

Our fermenting tanks have a jacket around them to apply heat or cold, depending on the temperature that the grape reaches, to initiate fermentation at:

•Reds: 14 - 16 degrees

•Whites: 12 - 14 degrees

Alcoholic fermentation, carried out in an inert atmosphere given that we only fill half of the tank with grapes, is a low-temperature exothermic reaction, reaching a maximum of 26-28°C.It must be controlled meticulously to achieve the optimal amount of sugar (sweetness of thegrape) in ethyl alcohol, CH3CH2OH. The less sugar the better the wine. The duration of this fermentation pro cess is approximately 8-10 days, including several pump-overs. After fermentation, we leave the wine to macerate for 6-7 days, seeking the best blend of aromas in the liquid and before separating the skin from the wine. In RIOJA, dry wines must not have over 4 grams of sugar per litre of wine, and we only have 0.2 grams of glucose and fructose. Grapes

intended for our winery’s top-quality wine under go a second malolactic fermentation at 20-21°C, transforming the malic acid into lactic acid and resulting in deacidification, carried out in Ameri can oak barrels from a specific area of the United States.

The wine undergoes a long ageing process in oak barrels, stored in a humidity- and temperatu re-controlled room, with humidity of 70-80% and a temperature of 14-16 degrees. We decant regu larly to remove lees and to purify the wine from parts that do not contribute any positive characte ristics to it, originating from the fleshy part of the grape and skin.

With regular racking, we obtain a classification of the wine’s future characteristics: crisp, translucent and rich in aromas and flavours.

Our wine, aged for 12 months, and depending on the vintage, up to 18 months.

The wine undergoes a long ageing process in oak barrels.

THE PASSION TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY

Fermentation and ageing

Chema, our winemaker.

PLATINUM MEDAL BEST IN SHOW /////

CORNELIO IMPERIAL AUTOR Red Signature

JMDue to this process of selectivity, and always under the guidance of specialists, implementing good prac tices from pruning, caring for the vine, meticulously controlled treat ments and processes and selected harvesting by vines, and following fermentation, maceration and malo lactic fermentation in barrels, what you drink is not a result of coinci dence, rather a reality, thanks to our day-to-day work, ensuring the best quality of the vine, of the cluster, of harvesting, of fermentation and of ageing, for just the right time, in oak barrels, to achieve what I am: a wine rich in colour, aromas and fla vours. Thanks to all of this, we have received such a great award from DECANTER, the most prestigious company in the world.

THE PASSION TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY

Awarded with the Best In Show medal

CORNELIO IMPERIAL Red Signature JM.

OUR WINE IS

One of the 50 most awarded wines in the world

We received a Best in Show award, given to the best 50 wines in the world, as well as a Platinum medal among the 18.000 wines presented.

La Rioja should be proud of receiving a new DECANTER Best in Show award among its many prizes: Cornelio Imperial Red Signature. Furthermore, it was one of only 6 Spanish wines among the 50 bottles selected from around the world.

DWWA 2022: At a glance

The 19th edition of the Decanter World Wine Awards saw a record numver of wines judged. Across two weeks, almost 250 international wine experts, including 41 Masters of Wine and 13 Master Sommeliers, evaluated 18,244 wines from 54 countries.

Best in Show: 95 -100 p.

Platinum: 95 - 100 p.

Gold: 95 - 100 p.

Silver: 90 - 94 p. Bronze: 86 - 89 p.

DECANTER AWARDS ///////////////

More awarded wines

I will also say that I, Cornelio Impe rial Red Signature, had already de monstrated my quality as, for the past three vintages, I obtained 95 points from Decanter, a sign of maintained quality. This is in addition to several international gold medals, such as Cornelio Dinastía Red Crianza with 95 points, made by the same hands and produced with the same dedication but from different fer mentations, as well as the meticulous selection of the grapes.

I also congratulate my colleagues, CORNELIO GRAN DUQUE Reserva Especial, with 94 points, and CORNELIO EMPERADOR Re serva 2017, with 92 points.

With this, we come to the end of this presentation, which we hope to repeat. This BEST-IN-SHOW medal makes us even stronger and brings us closer to the construction of the new winery. Without a doubt, the new winery will follow a simple and functional model, but one that is specially designed for our best friend, the customer, who drinks our wine and to whom we are grateful for the trust placed in us.

The wine made on the vine

THE PASSION TO DO THINGS THE RIGT WAY

The wine made on the vine

All of our medals in the last years

Barrel-fermented white

Red Signature

Rosé

Barrel-fermented white

White Garnacha

Red Signature

Red Signature Red Signature

White White

AWARDS ////////////////////////////// 32 /////////////// Red Signature

Without Added Sulphites

Barrel-fermented white Barrel-fermented white

Red Signature

Barrel-fermented white

THE PASSION TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY

Our medals in the last years

CORNELIO DINASTÍA CORNELIO EMPERADOR CORNELIO IMPERIAL CORNELIO GRAN DUQUE

VEGA VELLA VEGA VELLA VEGA VELLA VEGA VELLA

VEGA VELLA VEGA VELLA VEGA VELLA VEGA VELLA S.TOP

VEGA VELLA VEGA VELLA TERRA VELLA PETRA

Red Signature

Barrel-fermented white

Red Signature

Without Added Sulphites White White

Barrel-fermented white

Barrel-fermented white Concrete egg fermented

Red Signature Red Signature Red Signature

Crianza Reserva Red Signature JM Reserva White Rosé Crianza Reserva Concrete Egg Fermented Grenache Graciano Reserva

Barrel-Fermented White Red Signature Crianza

THE PASSION TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY Our medals in the last years

ORDERS / INFORMATION