Remirez de Ganuza, a wine paradise in La Rioja
The vineyards consist of more than eighty hectares of tempranillo, graciano, viura, and malvasía. They are spread across six locations in the Sierra Cantabria: Samaniego, Leza, Elciego, San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Laguardia, and Ábalos, in Rioja Alavesa. In all of them, the habitat, microclimate, orientation of the plots, low productivity of the vines, and age of the vineyard have been taken into account for their selection, with the average age of the vines being fifty years. This extensive land area allows them to be self-sufficient in high-quality grape supply.

Technical Data

Winery: Own Vineyards, at Bodegas Fernando Remírez de Ganuza, Samaniego (Rioja Alavesa).
D.O.Ca. La RiojaVintage: 2014
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Variety: 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano
Tasting notes: Beautiful dark cherry red color. Dense and bright tear.
On the nose: it is a very intense wine. Notes of preserved fruit, balsamic, caramel, and nuts. Mineral notes with hints of graphite.
On the palate: Viña Coqueta has a wide and dense mouthfeel. Notes of toasts and spices are perceived. Fine tannins.
Serving temperature: 16-18ºC
Winemaking: Manual harvest in 12 kg boxes of grapes from a vineyard called Coqueta, 42 years old and located in Samaniego. Temperature controlled prior to fermentation in refrigeration chambers specially designed for this purpose for a period of 24 hours (4-6 degrees). Grape selection on a table and separation of shoulders and tips. This wine is made from destemmed shoulders. Fermentation in small stainless steel tanks. Aging is for 26 months in new barrels: 85% French Oak 15% American Oak
Pairing: at Made in Spain Gourmet we recommend it with Tapas (gourmet of course) and starters, cold cuts, and white meats. This wine is delicious at all times. Of course, do not forget a good aged cheese to pair it with, even a good mushroom pâté, almost anything you want.
A traditional winery with avant-garde production
You will find Remirez de Ganuza in the center of Samaniego, a beautiful medieval village at the foot of the Sierra de Toloño. Of medieval origin, today it retains its appearance of a fortified village visible in many of its buildings and especially in the 16th-century church of Ntra. Sra. de la Asunción, built next to one of the four towers that defended the village.
The Remirez de Ganuza winery, as we mentioned before, is located in the center of Samaniego, Álava. It is formed by a block of buildings, old townhouses, composed of modern reinforced concrete structures covered with ancient stonework, thus integrating into the traditional local architecture.
Around a large central courtyard crossed by a natural water channel, the different buildings that structure the winery are dedicated to the different phases of wine production, such as the barrel area, the bottle racks, the cold rooms, or the selection area.
The traditional architecture of the winery, with its interior roof formed by centuries-old oak beams, contrasts with one of the most avant-garde and innovative production methods of the moment.
La Rioja Alavesa: the elite of La Rioja winesLa Rioja Alavesa is classified as a subzone within the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin. It has 13,500 hectares of vineyards and several hundred wineries, resulting in an annual average of around 40 million liters of wine.
The area produces especially red wines with specific general characteristics, such as a bright and lively color, a fine aroma, a fruity taste, and a pleasant palate. These peculiarities are due to the clay-limestone soils of the area, which are excellent for vines to absorb the necessary moisture. The climate and location of the vineyards, behind the Sierra de Toloño, which protects the vineyards from the cold northern winds and allows the vines to better