Ondarre Gran Reserva Rioja 2018

The carefully selected grapes for this wine come from old vineyards surrounding the village of Viana, which overlooks the Rioja Valley in what is now known as Rioja Oriental. The climate is continental, with a noticeable Mediterranean influence. The 40-year-old, low-yielding vines are situated on slopes that climb up toward the Sierra Mountains at elevations of 600 to 750 meters, where the diversity of the soil contributes to the complexity of the wine. To the north of the village, the soils are very shallow - approximately 40 centimetres deep- on a bedrock of sedimentary rock, with soil comprising sand, clay and limestone. The terrain is quite uneven here due to several streams that run down from the mountains and create a special microclimate. The streams ensure good drainage, encouraging the Gobelet-trained vines to struggle to produce concentrated wines.