Rockin Red Features Spanish Organic Wine Tarantas Tempranillo

Rockin Red Blog Features Tarantas Tempranillo

Our Spanish organic wine Tarantas Tempranillo Crianza was recently featured by Michelle Williams on her Rockin Red blog about the Utiel-Requena D.O. Here is what she had to say about the wine:

2013 Tarantas Tempranillo Crianza Utiel-Requena Spain: 100% organically grown Tempranillo; medium- ruby; medium- aromas of fresh picked summer berries, dusty earth, minerality, licorice, sweet baking spice, fresh tobacco leaves; a silky entry on palate transitions to a dusty medium+ tannins and medium+ acidity, full body yet lifts nicely off of palate, juicy yet balanced with earthiness, medium finish; click here to learn more.

About Utiel-Requena D.O. – Home of our Spanish organic wine, Tarantas Tempranillo Crianza

Michelle had this to say about the region: “Valencia is home to three wine regions, known as DO’s. The largest of the three lies directly west of Valencia is called Utiel-Requena, taking its name from the towns of Utiel and Requena that lie 15km apart from each other. Utiel-Requena is the most inland of the Valencia DO’s, vineyards are on an undulating plain surrounded by moutains, between 600m – 900m above sea level. The soil varies depending on location, alluvial soil is prominent in the north, while sandstone, marl, and clay make up the soil of the south. The best vineyards; however, are believed to be planted on the outcrops of limestone found throughout the DO.

Utiel-Requena experiences a challenging climate. It lies in close enough proximity to the Mediterranean Sea (70 km) to receive coastal influence, but it also has strong continental climate. The diurnal shift can be extreme, up to 50 degrees, with possible high temps reaching 104 F, and lows around 59 F. The region enjoys up to 2,500 hours of sunshine and 400-500mm of rain annually. The warmer climate, extended sun exposure, and altitude results in early grape ripening. For example, Decanter explains a “Tempranillo from Utiel-Requena can be fully mature after six months in oak and a year in bottle – less than half the time required in the DoCa Rioja.”

Read the full blog and find our more about Utiel-Requena here: Get to Know Spain’s Utiel-Requena DO

Author: Lisa Bell, Natural Merchants