NÚMERO 7, 2019
www.vintae.com IF WE WERE TO STOP DREAMING, WE WOLD NOT BE VINTAE
INTERVIEW
LITTLE SPAIN
PROWEIN
Find out the main R+D&i projects of Vintae with Pedro Balda. Page 3.
Matsu was present at the opening of the year in the Big Apple. Page 4.
Cabaret night in Dusseldorf to present Classica Hacienda López de Haro. Page 2.
CLASSICA HACIENDA LÓPEZ DE HARO, A TRIBUTE TO THE PIONEERS OF RIOJA Finally the treasure hidden for years at Hacienda Lopez de Haro winery sees the light. Classica Hacienda López is the tribute to the pioneers of Rioja, characters who have contributed to the designation of origin occupying a place of global relevance today. The collection began with two wines which were a reinterpretation of the fine wines that made Rioja famous worldwide, but it intends to grow year after year with the Red, White and Rosé “Grandes Reservas”, elaborated using those vintages when the vineyard provides exceptional fruit intended to be used in the wines for aging.
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he French photographer Jean Laurent who came to Rioja in the midnineteenth century to photograph the route of the newly opened railway and the clergyman, who in 1790 was the first to elaborate in Rioja “Bordeaux-style wine” are the two characters illustrated on the labels for the first two wines in the collection. Classica Hacienda López de Haro Gran Reserva Blanco 2012 and Classica Hacienda López de Haro Gran Reserva Tinto 2001. The first Gran Reserva Blanco of the winery is
elaborated with Viura, Malvasía and Garnacha Blanca from vineyards with an average age of 65 located in the Sonsierra and Alto Najerilla. For its part, the red wine, which was elaborated in the first vintage of Hacienda López de Haro, is a blend of Tempranillo and Graciano from vineyards located in the Sonsierra with an average age of 70. Despite its longevity, the profile of these ‘grandes reservas’ respects the essence and philosophy of the winery to create contemporary classics, with aging over long periods in new and used oak, giving
equal prominence to the fruit aromas and those of the oak, in a reinterpretation of these timeless fine wines. The result is wines that stand out for their elegance and for having evolved positively in complexity, approaching their point of maximum expression, although in these wines only patience and time will tell what that point is. The wines were premiered in Düsseldorf, within the framework of the Prowein Fair, as part of a Cabaret in the purest style of the Rioja “belle epoque”, the details of which are all on the next page.
2/2019
PROWEIN
A STAR-FILLED CABARET
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n the night of March 18, the city of Düsseldorf was flowing with feathers, sequins and top hats to learn about Vintae’s new wines. Coinciding with the most important international wine fair in Europe, Prowein, we organized in the German city the premiere presentation for some of our jewels that have been hidden for years in the Bodega Hacienda López de Haro. Masters of Wine, international specialized press, representatives of the Government of La Rioja, the Regulatory Council and importers from five continents traveled to the “belle epoque” of the Rioja for the release of Classica Hacienda López de Haro. The 2-star Michelin chef from Rioja, Francis Paniego, was in charge of the gastronomy for this “cabaret”, recreated for the occasion in a fashion showroom on the banks of the Rhine, where there was no shortage of live music, dances or surprises.
A NEW LE NATUREL WHITE!
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here are wines we are particularly excited about bringing to the market, and this is the case of our first white without added sulfites, Le Naturel Blanco, which follows the philosophy of its red “brother” and is made with the minimum intervention, letting the grape be the protagonist. Garnacha Blanca and a small percentage of other white varieties found in the vineyards of the Yerri Valley are its only ingredients, nothing added, purity and intensity without contrivances. In the cellar, very gentle pressing is carried out and at low temperatures to preserve the aromas and the freshness of the grape. The result is a high intensity wine, with a very complex nose and exuberant acidity.
LIBALIS, WINES SUITABLE FOR VEGAN
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fter obtaining the V-label certificate, which certifies all the references of Aroa Bodegas and Matsu as vegan wines, it is the turn of the Libalis collection, which is elaborated in Bodega Maetierra (Calahorra). Our more summery and feminine wines are already certified as products free of animal-derived ingredients.
2019/3
PEDRO BALDA Director of the R+D&i Department of Vintae “It is good to keep in mind our tradition, but we cannot neglect the future, research is essential to improve”
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fter passing through some of the most prestigious wineries in the new world, earning his doctorate in Enology with a thesis discovering two minority varieties which had been recovered in Rioja and triumphing with the wines he makes from his family’s vineyards, this Sonsierra native takes up the challenge of leading the innovation projects of the Vintae Wine Company. In his memory will always be the know-how he has learned from the generations that precede him, and on his horizon, the continuous improvement of everything that happens in the vineyard and in the winery. What are the main research lines of Vintae’s R & D department? There are several lines of research open, aimed at viticulture and oenology. In viticulture, we are focused on a project related to climate change, on vine cultivation at high altitude, with plantations in the highest and coldest area of La Rioja. It is a restricted plantation due to two factors, so relevant as temperature and altitude. We are outside the limits of the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin, because with climate change, the altitudes at which the grapes mature have changed. We are testing different varieties, both rare and international short cycle ones. Different climate models predict a generalized increase of 2°C by 2050. If we consider that the average temperature drops 0.6 °C every 100 meters of altitude increase, it would be necessary to raise the vineyards 330 meters above the current location if we wish to have the current weather conditions in the future. The average altitude of the vineyards of Rioja, is around 500 meters, so we are testing wine growing at 800 meters high, to anticipate that change. And in the cellar? Within the wine line we have three fundamental areas. One of them is the vinification without sulfur, which has already been developed in Aroa with Le Naturel and that we are now evolving with other varieties and other wine making techniques without sulfites. The second line is the production of sparkling wines, where we have already implemented the “champenoise” method or traditional method, and we are going to expand on the ancestral method. The third pillar focuses on aging processes. We are working with alternative materials to the barrel such as terracotta or stoneware amphoras, or polyvinyl egg-shaped wine tanks, which have permeability conditions similar to the barrel, but without the
aromas or tannins that the oak transmits. We are also working with larger barrels, such as 3000 liter casks. We look for longer aging and a lesser sensory impact on wines, to highlight the characteristics of the vineyard even more. How does an R&D department work in a winery? What facilities do you need? As we are an incipient department, our main work tool is creativity. Any project has a first “more administrative” phase corresponding to requesting and processing with different public bodies; and then, there is the phase that we enjoy the most: execution, “where we get our finger in the pie”. To execute the different projects we have in progress, and others that are to come, we are installing an experimental winery inside the own Hacienda López de Haro Winery. It will be like the replica of a warehouse, but on a smaller scale; with much more precise machinery, since all the tests are done on a small scale. There are two rooms of 250 square meters each. In addition, we also sometimes use part of the winery production facilities, depending on the project. Research is almost always a long-term job, when can we see results? There are two types of research, the fundamental one that is done at the university and the applied one, which is what is done in companies. In applied research we try to see results that are palpable from the beginning, in the medium or short term. In viticulture we already have the plantation at these high altitudes in the mountains, where this year we will have the first harvest of these eight different varieties. In the enology lines with sparkling wines we already have elaborated several vintages, although we are waiting to assess the latest results before going to market. In the sulfite-free line, we have a product that is already on the market, Le Naturel Blanco. At Vintae we always do applied research and all the lines are developed thinking about a product that is marketable. Is it usual for wineries to invest in innovation? It is not usual, only in large groups, especially in the New World environment, but it is not at all common for small Spanish or European wine companies to do so. Within the agri-food sector, the wine industry is very traditional. In terms of the countryside, even the fruit sector has developed much more than wine growing, with new varieties, new pruning systems, etc. But in the wine sector it seems that it is the other way around, we are going back to the old, to the varieties
that our ancestors cultivated. It is not usual to invest in innovation, but we cannot neglect the future. It is good to know our tradition, but we have to look forward to innovating and improving all processes. Today we have much more knowledge than 20 years ago, proof of this is how the Spanish wine sector has improved in recent decades, but we are an industry that is not as developed or uses as much technology as other agri-food industries. Therefore, we innovate, yes, but with a broad respect for tradition and always trying to improve what we have inherited. We are not going to invent how to make wine, that has already been invented. Tell us about the project with the Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR) to prevent neurodegenerative diseases using the grape properties. We believe that wine is a healthy food, but as a young, dynamic and open company that we are, that is not enough. We have the possibility of collaborating with Dr. Alfredo Martínez del CIBIR, and that is where we are at. We do not know about cells, nor can we develop experiments with mice like Alfredo does, but we can intervene in the part of product design, because if we have learned something during all this time, is how to taste! What we want is to “turn the concept around” of alcohol-free wines, which have had so little success in the market. We believe that there is a great possibility of bringing a drink to the market, based on the antioxidant compounds that the grape has, and that it can be very similar to what a wine is. Our main challenge will be that, by putting this future healthy product in a dark cup, and any wine, we will not be able to distinguish what we are drinking.
4/2019
USA
MATSU IN THE LITTLE SPAIN MARKET, IN THE EPICENTER OF SPANISH GASTRONOMY IN NEW YORK
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On March 15, the Little Spain Market, the great New York project of the most international Spanish culinary trio, was inaugurated: José Andrés and the brothers Albert and Ferrán Adrià. Located in the fashionable area of the Big Apple, Hudson Yards, this multispace with 3 restaurants and 15 food kiosks occupies more than 3,200 square meters and wants to become a “vibrant market where you can explore and discover the wonders of Spanish cuisine”, according to its creator, José Andrés. Spanish wine is going to be very present in this new space, with a wine bar where you can taste El Pícaro and El Recio, El Bandarra vermouth on tap and sangría La Sueca, from our friends at Democratic Wines. At the opening, Matsu caused a huge sensation, with ‘El Pícaro’ being presented in the Melchior format, nothing more and nothing less than 18 liters! of Tinta de Toro to toast this new adventure.
VINTAE MEDAL TABLE 1
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1. El Recio de Matsu Gold Medal Mundus Vini
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2. Bardos Reserva Gold Medal Mundus Vini 3. Hacienda López de Haro Rosé Best Rosé Wine 2018 Verema Awards 91 90
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4. Hacienda López de Haro Edición Limitada Gold Medal Mundus Vini 5. Hacienda López de Haro Gran Reserva 90 points Tim Atkin MW 91 points Wine Spectator 6. Classica Hacienda López de Haro Blanco Gran Reserva Blanco 92 points Tim Atkin MW
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7. El Pacto 90 points Tim Atkin MW 8. QP Vintage 92 points Decanter 92 points Wine Enthusiast 92 points Tim Atkin MW 92
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9. El Garnacho Viejo de la Familia Acha 93 points Tim Atkin MW
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