Finca Allende - 1999 - Allende - 750 ml.

Founded in 1986 by Miguel Ángel de Gregorio in the hillside town of Briones, Finca Allende is located in an ancient 17th century manor, set in a medieval town square within the heart of Rioja Alta. Roughly translated as ‘further,’ Allende’s philosophy is to go further towards creating the perfect Rioja. The majority of vines are plowed with mules and grapes are hand-harvested, triple-selected and manually punched-down before undergoing extensive underground aging in both barrel and bottle. Known for producing round wines with great body and structure, each bottle is hand-crafted by and contains the signature of Miguel Ángel de Gregorio. Considered to be Spain’s first terroirist, Miguel Ángel’s sincere dedication to natural farming and preserving the integrity of Rioja Alta are why he is one of Rioja’s most celebrated winemakers and a mastermind when it comes to making world-class Tempranillo. 2011 began in Rioja Alta with cooler and drier-than-normal weather. A rainy and warm March replenished the region’s rather scarce hydric reserves and sparked the onset of bud-break during the second week of April. Bud break was followed by a rapid and intense vegetative development of the vines, where flowering took place during the first week of June. A rather dry summer and early fall led to an early veraison and promoted the final stages of a healthy phenolic maturation. Harvest began on the September 27th in the absence of rain, with slightly lower temperatures. Tasting Notes Intense purple in color with powerful and elegant aromas of soft minerals, ink, fresh mint, mulling spice, wild herbs, toffee and cocoa. On the palate, the wine contains ripe tannins and complex flavors of black fruit, licorice, coffee and aromatic herbs. Long and persistent, this wine will age well for 15–20 years.