BODEGAS ARRAYAN Estela de Arrayan
CSPC + 877360
Vintage: 2013
Case: 12x750ml
Region: Méntrida DO, Spain
Varietal: 55% Syrah, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.0%
CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Tasting Notes
The top of the range. Deep cherry red colour with purplish hues. Very expressive nose of notable finesse. Hints of ripe fruit, sour cherry and spices with flowery references. Nicely structured in the mouth with plenty of body. Outstandingly elegant, long, lingering finish. This is a wine for laying down and for drinking any time in the next ten years.
92 Points
"A layered and juicy wine with walnut and dark-berry aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Vivid is a good word to describe this wine. Round and silky tannins. Drink now."
DO Mentrida, Spain
Praise For Arrayan from Decanter Magazine:
"Arrayan’s success is symbolic of the renewed energy and enthusiasm in some of Spain’s forgotten regions – in this case Méntrida. The approach may be modern, but it is based on the old vines and history of Garnacha in the region. The vineyard is on poor sandy soils at 700m – just the kind of higher-altitude site sought to prevent the resulting wine from toppling over into blowsiness. The project was launched in 1988 with the help of two top names: the Australian viticultural expert Richard Smart, who has worked across the Iberian peninsula, and in the winery the enthusiastic and insightful Miguel Angel de Gregorio of Rioja’s Finca Allende."
Region & Vineyard Notes
Méntrida is a Spanish Denominacion de Origen (DO) in the province of Toledo, Spain, near Madrid. The continental-Mediterranean climate is characterised by extreme temperature variations, from harsh winters to hot summers. The soil is alluvial, from the erosion of the granite massifs in Spain's central plateau, and is basically sandy loam in the gullies, with an acid pH and a high silicate content. No chemical herbicides or fertilisers are used; manure is applied as a soil improver.
Winemaking Notes
This wine was made after taking the must for Arrayán Premium. Free-run juice is allowed to drain from the pomace without any pressure being applied. Assemblage is followed by a 17-month maturation period in new French oak casks and 18 months in the bottle.