Altos R Pigeage Tempranillo 2014

Winemaker Jean-Marc Sauboua may have perfected his craft at Bordeaux’s famed Château Haut Brion, but he has Rioja in his blood (it is his mother’s homeland, after all).

This red is special to Jean-Marc, so he sought out grapes from a plot of 80-year-old Tempranillo and Graciano vines in the premium district of Rioja Alavesa. These miserly old vines yield tiny grapes that deliver a sweet, pure intensity. To showcase all that flavor character and draw out deep color with velvety texture, Jean-Marc employed the pigeage technique in the cellar (a traditional Burgundian method of fermenting in open vats and gently plunging skins, repeatedly). After a luxurious 28 months in French oak barrels, the quality-obsessed Jean-Marc was happy and he released this gem to unbelievable acclaim.

We’ve counted four gold medals so far, plus an international “Grand Gold” medal and 94 points from Master of Wine Tim Atkin. With acclaim like this, we can’t promise our limited stocks will last – you know what you need to do …