This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for Red Rioja over £15 went to Marqués de Terán, Seleción Especial, Rioja 2011 (14%)
Tasted against:
- Ramón Bilbao, Mirto, Rioja 2009
Profile:
Marques de Teran came to life 10 years ago, the brain child of brothers Manuel and José Azpilicueta, whose great grandparents founded the famous Bodegas Age in the 19th century.
In order to get their project off the ground,they brought together a clutch of investors from throughout Rioja and beyond, and today they own 50 hectares of vineyards in Ollauri, within the sub-region of Rioja Alta. All of its vineyards are within 20km of the winery – a high-tech facility where 80% of the buildings are underground to enable the grapes to be processed using gravity flow so they remain in pristine condition.
While Marqués de Terán is keen to respect tradition, it also embraces innovation, which has led it to incorporate cryomaceration into the winemaking process. This involves applying layers of dry ice to keep the grapes at a consistently cool temperature. Geothermal power helps run the winery, the aim being to reduce its carbon emissions by 80%.
Winemaking duties fall to 38-year-old José Agustin Marauri. After studying winemaking in Madrid, Marauri worked in Navarra and La Mancha, before moving to Rioja to take up his post at Marqués de Terán, making wines fromthe 2005 vintage.
Written by Decanter
