Exopto ‘La Mimbrera’ Graciano 2021

Description

This wine is part of a precious collection of single vineyard wines by Bodegas Exopto, small bottlings that showcase unique old plots and single varietals on the slopes of the Sierra Cantabria in Rioja.

A special wine for winemaker and Exopto owner Tom Puyaubert as it was the first vineyard he bought, La Mimbrera, just outside the village of Ábalos. Graciano vines were planted in calcareous clay-limestone soil on a hillside 450m above sea level, with great sun exposure and surrounded by wild vegetation including wild thyme, rosemary and lavender.

Grapes were harvested by hand and fermented in barrels, with 18 months further ageing in 600 litre French oak barrels. Opaque, dark cherry in colour with a purple hue, there’s a wonderfully savoury, herbal nose of smoked beef, blackcurrant, tobacco leaf, hay and thyme. The wine is surprisingly elegant despite being loaded with big fruit, black plum, damson and prune fill the mouth, with silky tannins and notes of dark chocolate, coffee bean and tingly juniper spice.

Very limited quantities, there’s only 900 bottles of this produced each vintage.

For the full Exopto Single Vineyard Series, click here.