Sierra Cantabria Coleccion Privada 2007 Rioja
Viñedos Sierra Cantabria Rioja is essentially a collection of vineyards that the Eguren family has brought together as part of their Sierra Cantabria wine range featuring new classics. These exceptional wines primarily showcase the Tempranillo grape and represent the particular characteristics of their terroir: Coleccion Privada, Sierra Cantabria Cuvee, Organza, and the renowned Amancio and El Bosque. There is complete diversity in plantations, with new and century-old vines covering the slopes of rugged hillsides and flat banks alongside the River Ebro. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 94 points
94 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
June 2010
The 2007 Sierra Cantabria Coleccion Privada was aged for 18 months in new French and American oak. It offers up a sexy, kinky, exceptionally perfumed nose of sandalwood, incense, violets, truffle, and wild black berries. Opulent and succulently-fruited on the palate, this already complex wine will blossom over the next 5-6 years and offer a drinking window extending from 2015 to 2027 if not longer.
Bodegas Sierra Cantabria is another outstanding Rioja estate owned and operated by the Eguren family. The highlight of my visit in May, 2010 was a vertical of their two renowned single vineyard wines, Amancio and Finca El Bosque. Not to be overlooked is their complete portfolio of new releases, several of which are superb values. The Amancio cuvee comes from a single vineyard of the same name. There is a severe triage in the vineyard before the grapes reach the sorting table. It spends 24 months in new French oak using a “200% new oak” aging regimen before bottling without fining or filtration. The Finca El Bosque Vineyard is a 4 acre parcel of Tempranillo planted on gravel in 1973. The wine is put through ML in new oak and spends 18 months in new, mostly French oak.
