Marqués de Griñón Caliza - 2018

VINTAGE:  2018

PRODUCER:  Marqués de Griñón

LOCATION:  Malpica del Tajo

APPELLATION:  Vino de Pago Dominio deValdepusa

VARIETALS:  42% Petit Verdot, 32% Graciano, 26% Syrah

AGING:  10 months in French Allier oak

ALCOHOL: 15%

RATING: 93 Pts. Wine Enthusiast

Dark ruby to the eye, this wine has a bouquet of black plum, cigar box and pencil lead. It offers a note of violet on the palate from first sip to finish, wrapped in opulent tannins and flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, juniper and smoke.

Carlos Falcó, Marqués de Griñón opened his winery in 1974 on lands that have been in his family since 1292. He recognized then that there was something special about the land, distinct from the surrounding vineyards in La Mancha, that would allow him to make some of the best wines in Spain. With his entrepreneurial skills and legendary energy, as well as bringing in renowned winemaking experts Michel Rolland, Richard Smart and Claude Bourgignon, he brought the winery from being virtually unknown to being the first Vino de Pago or 'Estate Appellation' winery in Spain.

ABOUT VINO DE PAGO DOMINIO DE VALDEPUSA

Recognized as the first Vino de Pago in 2002, a status that is reserved for estates that are considered to occupy special parcels of land that consistently produce high quality and distinctive wines. It sits in the Montes de Toledo, a mountain range alongside the Tagus River, in central Spain. Vineyards sit at approximately 1600ft absl and receive 3000 hours of sunshine a year. The climate is continental, with large diurnal temperature variations. The soil is made up of 12–20 inches of clay over 6ft of limestone. This structure has long been considered ideal for high-quality winemaking. To ensure the terroir is expressed in the estate's wines, a number of techniques are employed including potting tubes, high-density planting and surface root removal, all of which force root systems to burrow deep into the ground.