Bodegas Roda, Roda I Reserva 2012 Rioja

Tempranillo 96%; Graciano 4%

2012 was the second consecutive year of drought in this region. Low water reserves, combined with a cool spring delayed the development of shoots on the vines and restricted growth and fruit production. However, the reduced volume of grapes were of excellent quality, despite a late harvest.

Grapes were harvested and sorted by hand. Grapes from individual plots were fermented separately, in temperature controlled French Oak vats.

The wine was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, 50% new, 50% second fill, before blending, fining with egg white and bottling. The wine is aged for 20 months in the bottle prior to release.

Bodegas Roda was established in 1987 by Mario Rotllant and Carmen Daurella. They purchased a 19th Century warehouse beside the río Ebro and established a state of the art winery. The company has 70 hectares of its own vineyards and supplements its own produce with purchases of fruit from carefully selected small producers. This enables the use of grapes from a variety of ecosystems at altitudes between 380 and 650 meters with differing climate influences.