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Bodegas y Viñedos La Encina SL, founded in 1999, is
situated in the municipality of Brinas. The name, La Encina,
meaning The Oak Tree, was chosen because there is a hundred-year-old
oak tree situated at the entrance of the 40,000 square metres
of land owned by the bodega, a building designed architecturally
in a uniquely modern and minimalist style. The bodega, which
borders on the boundary of the municipality of Haro separated
only by a pathway, is perched on a hill with breathtaking
views of the vineyards and a promontory of the River Ebro.
It is the first bodega you arrive at on entering the denominación
of Rioja from the north. Close by you can find other bodegas
like Roda, Muga, Tondonia, Rioja Alta and Cune. Brinas is
the doorway to La Rioja, a small village of stone buildings
with heraldic portals. A truly magical and peaceful place.
So we are dealing with a bodega positioned in a magnificent
setting in the heart of the very best Rioja Tempranillo
vineyards. There are 3 hectares of vineyards adjacent to the
bodega and another 15 hectares, directly under their control,
belonging to partners of the bodega. At present, 75% of their
production comes from their own vineyards. The winery was
completed in 2003 and the 2002 vintage was the first to be
elaborated in the new winery. The
target is to produce 300,000 bottles in four years' time.
There will be a capacity of 1200 oak barrels which will rotate
every 4 to 5 years. After careful grape selection, production
is achieved with the minimum use of pumps to circulate the
must in special “troncocónico” (conical-shaped)
auto self-emptying, stainless steel tanks with a capacity
of 25,000 litres each, with automatic remontage, designed
to facilitate the breaking of the hat to allow better colour
extraction, then on to American wooden barrels - of which,
at present, there are 950. The style of their wines are positioned
midway between the classical Rioja and the modern concept.
NEW!
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for more information.
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