TASTING NOTES: Colour: Crimson with violet tinges Nose: Intense stewed cherry and blackberry fruit characters followed by tobacco, cinnamon, black pepper and cloves Palate: A full bodied expansive wine providing a big fruit blast with firm yet friendly tannins Finish: Pleasant and satisfying

Technical notes

DOMAIN La Mancha is Spain’s largest denomination of origin and the world’s largest wine producing area. Despite low yields La Mancha is known as ideal vineyard country due to the quality of the fruit, the ripening cycle, long sun drenched days and the health of the vines. Although this is a large area, the flat geography and the soil is remarkably consistent – red-brown sandy clay, poor in organic content and rich in limestone and chalk. Limestone outcroppings are frequent and must be broken up to allow the roots of the vines to prosper. La Mancha’s plains, sitting at an average of some 2,100 feet have an archetypal continental climate: Icy winters give way to torrid summers. Summer temperatures often exceed 110°, while the winter thermometer will see temperatures as low as 10º. VINIFICATION The grapes underwent two to three days of cold pre-fermentation maceration to enhance color and flavor extraction. The must was then inoculated with selected yeasts and fermented at 82ºC with four daily pumpovers. Post-fermentation maceration lasted 20 to 30 days to achieve the fullest extraction and body. The wine was then drawn off the skins and seeds, and the free-run wine was separated from the press wine. Aged 100% in stainless steel.