Ramon Bilbao Rioja Vinedos de Altura 2021 vs Vergelegen Reserve Merlot 2018
Compare current tracked prices, stockists and core specifications. One of these is currently out of stock across tracked merchants.
| Availability | In stock | Out of stock |
|---|---|---|
| Best current price | £17.95 | — |
| Current stockists | 1 merchant | — |
| Producer | Ramon Bilbao | Vergelegen |
| Style | Red | Red |
| Grape | Garnacha, Tempranillo | Merlot |
| Region | Rioja | — |
| Country | Spain | — |
| Size | 750ml | 750ml |
| Where to buy |
| No current tracked offers |
Ramon Bilbao Rioja Vinedos de Altura 2021
' Ramon Bilbao is a renowned Spanish winery based in Rioja, known for producing high-quality wines that blend tradition with innovation. Established in 1924, the winery specializes in crafting elegant, complex wines, with a focus on Tempranillo grapes. Their top-tier wine, Mirto, is made from old vines in select vineyards and is produced only in exceptional years, reflecting the excellence and craftsmanship that define the Ramon Bilbao legacy. The grapes come from two areas: Ãbalos for Tempranillo and Tudelilla for Garnacha. The altitude of over 700 meters gives the fruit freshness and elegance. Ãbalos: Sandy soils with decomposed limestone bedrock. Tudelilla: Poor, rocky soils. Grapes are carefully selected, with maceration before fermentation to extract aromas and colours. The two varieties are fermented separately to capture their unique characteristics. Malolactic fermentation takes place in French oak vats with the wine on its lees, followed by 15 months of aging. 2020 harvest was a vintage of extremes. Late autumn and early winter were very mild. However, a frost in April reduced production. This vintage has been rated as ''Memorable''. '
Vergelegen Reserve Merlot 2018
All the grapes came from Vergelegens vineyards: Kopland, Stonepine, Korhaan and Rooiland. Although most of the Merlot was planted on north and north-west facing slopes, the Korhaan and Lower Schaapenberg vineyards are on cooler sea-facing aspects. Two clones were used: a French Bordeaux and an Italian clone. The vineyards are all dry-land, but are carefully monitored to avoid stress. The fruit was picked at peak physiological ripeness to avoid the necessity of adding acid and prevent the extraction of hard tannins. Fermentation took place at 28C and lasted seven days. The wine was then left to macerate for two weeks before being run off into barrels for malolactic fermentation. It was racked four times to encourage tannin evolution and then matured for twenty months in small French oak barrels, only 50% of which were new. Ripe plum colour with a ruby rim. The nose shows ripe fruit flavours, spice and a touch of chocolate. The ripeness of the fruit is balanced by fresh fruit acid and soft wood/fruit
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