56% Tempranillo, 44% Garnacha, harvested at 7t/ha from chalky clay and alluvial soils. Fermented at 28-30°C,with daily pumpovers. Macerated for 7-15 days. 30% aged in 4-year-old American oak for 12 months. A Waitrose-label Rioja which is the 'baby' (sin crianza) from the Herminia estate: the same property that supplies the award-winning Crianza. Winemaker Antonio Palacios. American oak on the nose – lovely smell for the price. Lightweight and not particularly vibrant in the mouth but not bad for a fiver. Alc 13.5%, TA 4.9g/l, pH 3.6. Available from Wine Direct and 192 branches. 15/10/2008
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