FERMENTATION

The production process starts with a 100% manual grape harvest in boxes of 12 kg which are sent to the winery that very day. We try to add the grapes cold, and if the grape harvest is done in the heat, the temperature of the grape is reduced. The grapes are selected on a sorting table and a number of grapes are destemmed depending on the type of grape, as we are very interested in using the stem during the production in order to add the whole grape to the tanks without pumps, so as to not extract bad quality tannins. The grape is cooled and we slowly try to begin fermentation with the native yeast we are currently selecting. We pump very gently in order to preserve the quality of the tannin at cold temperatures with relatively long macerations, enhancing the fruit and creating complexity.

 Malolactic fermentation is natural and controlled with 10% of the wine in a barrel and 90% in a concrete tank.

AGEING

We produce a traditional aged wine adapting the ageing time to each type of wine. Thus, our generic wine is aged in a barrel for 14 months and in concrete for 4 months.  MONTECASTRO Reserva and La Roca age for a longer period, of up to 20 months, including the combination with the malolactic fermentation in barrels.

The kind of barrel we use is mainly the French allier oak. However, we also use 10% American oak, as a romantic and genuine piece of what has always been the “fino red wine in Ribera del Duero aged in American oak”.

During the ageing process, we decant the wine numerous times. We therefore try to not filter the wine, naturally clarifying it.

We have a strict microbiological control protocol for the wine during the bottling process, so that it is carried out in a respectful manner without strong or strict filtering, respecting the tannin and the fruit.

BOTTLE

The ageing process in the bottle is very important to us. While it is ageing in the winery, we maintain the wine at almost constant temperatures with a slight variation between summer-winter and certain dark conditions.

Our aim is to make a fresh, fruity, complex wine which is pleasing to drink. However, we really want it to age well in a bottle purely due to its balance.