Opici Wines

Crianza is the name given to Spanish wines with a particular aging technique that involves refining the wine in oak barrels for 6-12 months.

Vineyards:

The DO area of Jumilla encompasses 2 regions of Spain: Castile-La Mancha and Murcia. Situated in eastern Spain just south of Valencia, 60 hectares of vineyards are dedicated to the production of this wine. At 700 meters above sea level, the limey and sandy soil is poor in organic content and low in salinity. Majority of the blend is produced from 60-year-old Monastrell vines planted at 3000 vines/hectare. The other varietals are younger vines with an average age of 20 years.

Technical Data:

• Residual Sugar: 4.9 grams/liter
• Acidity: 5.1 grams/liter

Winemaking:

Harvested by hand throughout September and October. The grapes underwent a cold-maceration for 2 days in stainless steel tanks at the low temperature of 15°C. Alcoholic fermentation followed over the span of 12 days in stainless steel at 22°C. The wine rested on the skins for an additional 10 days to extract more color and flavor. Periodic pump-overs and delestages were preformed. Malolactic fermentation occurred. Aging took place in a combination of new and previously-used 60% American and 40% French oak barriques for 9 months. Prior to bottling, the wine was filtered. An additional 15 months in bottle further refined the wine.

Tasting Notes:

A complex bouquet of ripe blackberries and prunes, herbs, spices, and toasted notes of cedar. It is juicy on the palate with the same black fruit flavors present on the nose. Good structure with well-integrated tannins.

Food Pairings:

Try with red meats and roasts. Also good with baked pasta dishes.

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Bottle Image (Hi-Res)

High-resolution bottle image for Casa de la Ermita Crianza.

Bottle Image (Lo-Res)

Low-resolution bottle image for Casa de la Ermita Crianza; optimized for web use.

Fact Sheet

Label (Hi-Res)

High-resolution label image for Casa de la Ermita Crianza.

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Wine Advocate - 87 pts.

Vineyards:

Various vineyards located throughout Rioja Alta are dedicated to the production of this wine. At altitudes of more than 500 meters above sea level, the soils are mostly ferrous clay and marl. Trained using the bush and wire methods, the vineyards have a planting density of 3000-3600 vines/hectare.

Winemaking:

A manual harvest was carried out in October using small crates which were then stored in cooling chambers for a minimum of 30 hours. Alcoholic fermentation followed in small French oak vats at 26-28°C for 13 days and maceration lasted 6 days. Each vineyard location was fermented separately. Malolactic fermentation occurred in large French oak vats. Aging took place in French and American oak barriques that range in age from 2-5 years for 16 months, plus an additional 6 months in bottle.

Tasting Notes:

The bouquet consists of mature red berries, with hints of smoke, vanilla, and spice. Well-structured in the mouth, this Crianza is expressive and meaty and possesses a good balance of red fruit and toasted flavors. The tannins are mature and lead to an elegant, long finish. While this wine can be enjoyed now, it will also keep for 5-10 years.

Food Pairings:

Ideal and versatile pairing for a wide variety of Mediterranean cuisine.

Right-click the link and choose "Save as..." to save the file to your computer.

Bottle Image (Hi-Res)

High-resolution bottle image for Casa de la Ermita Crianza.

Bottle Image (Lo-Res)

Low-resolution bottle image for Casa de la Ermita Crianza; optimized for web use.

Fact Sheet

Label (Hi-Res)

High-resolution label image for Casa de la Ermita Crianza.

Shelf Talker

Wine Advocate - 87 pts.