Grape Varietals & Regions: 100% Tinta del País from the estate-owned Fuentecojo, Otero, Joven and La Cueva vineyards surrounding the winery in Anguix, Burgos. The vines are
planted on silt-loam soils at an altitude close to 780 metres above sea level. In the 1990s, the La Rioja Alta group decided to try their luck in
the Ribera del Duero, where terroir and microclimate meet to invite the utmost expression of the Tempranillo grape.
They sought the best possible site following advice from the denomination’s best growers and different academic experts. La Rioja Alta studied and analysed the soil, grapes and weather of many different subzones, finally selecting Anguix (Burgos) as the ideal location. In 1991 they planted the vineyard and chose to name this new venture Bodegas Áster, after a Spanish flower that blooms at harvest.
Taste Profile: This is an elegant Ribera del Duero that is clean and bright. Deep garnet colour with a dark cherry rim. Blackberry, red currant and black plums fill the nose, set against a spicy background with hints of cedar, liquorice, black pepper and nutmeg. The full-bodied palate reveals a powerful structure, balance and freshness. A great reflection of their vineyard expression in the long and tasty aftertaste.
Winemaking Process: Grape picking by hand, transporting them in small 20kg boxes. First selection in the vineyard, collecting only the best bunches that are perfectly ripe and in top condition. Second selection at the winery sorting table. After a gentle destemming and crushing, the fruit is placed in tanks for alcoholic fermentation at below 28°C. After 16 days fermentation and maceration, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels, with weekly battonages over a 2 month period. The wine ages for 22 months in
new French oak barrels (70%) and the rest in French oak barrels with two wines. Wine racking three times, employing traditional methods.
