Winemaking tasting notes: "Deep, cherry red color, with concentrated herbaceous and vanilla aromas. Meaty and rich flavors of cherry, plums and almonds with well-integrated oak, a rich velvety texture and a long, elegant finish."

Grape farmers and winemakers since 1889, the Martinez Bujanda family is a mainstay in the Rioja wine industry. Credited with popularizing a more modern, fruit-driven style of Rioja, the family produces wines that are true expressions of terroir and varietal. Quality is a core element of the Bodegas Valdemar winemaking tradition. After more than a century, the family has amassed over 1,000 acres of vineyards in some of the best growing areas in Rioja. As one of the few Bodegas that only uses estate fruit, owning their own vineyards also allows the family to farm and harvest based on their exacting standards. Today, the fifth generation of the family guides all daily operations and oversees a state-of-the-art winemaking facility in Oyon, a few hundred yards from the original Bodega. As part of their ongoing commitment to promote wines from Rioja, the family has helped revive interest in older, traditional varietals like Mazuelo, Malvasia and Graciano. Their efforts continue to be recognized by the press; the family was awarded the Wine Spectator’s Critics Choice Award three different times and was also selected as one of the Top 5 Rioja Producer of the Past Quarter Century by Wine & Spirits Magazine. "A great wine is the result of an endless journey filled with fundamental processes. However, to become a great winery making high quality wines is not enough. One has to have one’s own proper style of wine, and also, one’s individual manner of handling things. This is what really makes a winery great, and this is what everyone here at Bodegas Valdemar tries to accomplish every single day." Jesús Martínez Bujanda, Founder and Owner.

Wine maker notes

Grapes: 80% Tempranillo, 20% Mazuelo Alcohol: 13% Vol. Aging: 36 months in oak casks, 44 months in bottle

Technical notes

85% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano from the Bodegas's Santa Ana and Seminario vineyards. The wine was aged for 25 months in American and French oak barrels.

Food pairing

Serve with roasted lamb, beef or pork.

Producer

The Martinez Bujanda family founded their eponymous winery in 1889 and has become one of the largest growers in Rioja with approximately 1,000 acres under vine. Since the beginning, the family has taken a hands-on approach to all aspects of winemaking. Their efforts have been widely recognized and as such, has been awarded the Wine Spectator’s Critics Choice Award three times and was named as one of the Top 5 Rioja Producer of the Past Quarter Century by Wine & Spirits Magazine. More recently, the family has successfully championed the revival of ancient indigenous varietals like Mazuelo, Malvasia, Maturana and Graciano. All fermentation (with the exception of the barrel-fermented, single vineyard, Alto de Cantabria) takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. An extended maceration period gives the red wines additional depth and character. After more than 100 years, the family continues to follow the principals laid out by Jesus Martinez Bujanda. "A great wine is the result of an endless journey filled with fundamental processes. This is what really makes a winery great and what everyone here at Bodegas Valdemar tries to accomplish every day."