Bodega los Astrales _ 2001 - Astrales _ 1.5 L

Bodega Los Astrales began work at the end of 2000 by the hands of the Romera de la Cruz family – a family with 3 generations of wine growers – who were grape suppliers for other wineries but now they bottle their own production with Eduardo Garcia as Technical Director. Eduardo is the enologist at Mauro, Maurodos (family estates) and partner at Leda and the Paixar. After he finished his studies in Bordeaux, he trained at Cos D’Estournel, Hubert Lignier and Ridge. Astrales owns 15 hectares located in Anguix (120 inhabitants) of which 9 are vineyards of 20 to 70 year old vines. During 2003 and 2004, they planted another 14 hectares of Tempranillo. Vines are grown in vaso form with shorter trunks than in most of Ribera del Duero helping to shield the vines from the wind which contributes to the accumulation of polyphenols and sugars. No chemicals are used in the vineyard beyond sulphur and that only if absolutely necessary. The focus of the winery is to extract all of the character of old vine, head pruned, organically farmed Tinto Fino. The clay soils and cooler than average microclimate are key to producing wines with excellent balance, length, aromatic complexity and fresh acidity. "Los Astrales wines show essential Ribera characters of dusky red and dark fruits, meatiness, an earthy, profound minerality, and a touch of blood. Finally, varying with the vintage, the quixotic qualities that Eduardo allows his vineyards to express include alluring sous-bois and garrigue, aromas very familiar to noses trained in Burgundy, the Rhône, and Languedoc-Rousillon; saddle leather and tar similar to Barolo; and the copiously mineral, roasted-earth bass notes one sometimes finds in the finest wines of the Ribera, Toro, or Rioja. For me, Los Astrales bears Eduardo’s stamp as the winemaker’s most personal vision, the one closest to his heart."