Martinez Lacuesta Rioja Crianza 2016 Half Bottle

This is a modern wine from a very historic producer. Bodegas Martinez Lacuesta have been making wine since the late 1800s, 3 generations of the Lacuesta family have made the wine during this period. They are based in Haro in the Rioja Alta, the originator, Felix Martinez Lacuesta also represented producers in the set up of the Regulatory Body of the Rioja DO. They were a pioneering force in exporting Rioja wines, in the early 1900s, paving the way for others.

Their vines are planted at about 400-500m altitude, and they have four main varieties Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo. They have about 25 hectares spread between six vineyards. The vines are nourished in the winter from snow melt, the summers are generally warm. The winery is very impressive. It combines tradition with technology, they use stainless steel, and somehow have room for 8000 large oak barrels! A lot of the winery work is still done by hand, relying on the wineakers experience.