“I, Juan Carlos Sancha, have been involved in world wine for more than 25 years. I have worked in several wineries in La Rioja, and I also teach at the University of La Rioja. In 2008, I decided to start a project to rescue minority grape varieties from various areas of Rioja Alta. Concurrently, I continue working at the University of La Rioja, and I also advise and assist a number of wineries around Spain.
This project is based on Organic Viticulture, which involves working in the vineyard and now, in our winery, to produce wines which are as natural, as true to the terroirs, and as healthy as possible. We have achieved this through the elimination of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers in the vineyard with the goal of restoring the vineyards to their natural complexity and ability to fight diseases, and thereby promoting the proper and organic growth of the vines.
Thus, our winemaking philosophy is based on the concept of minimal intervention and preservation of purity in all stages of the wine-growing and winemaking process.
We produce three organic artisan wines, and we are small and intimately involved in our wine-growing and winemaking, seeking to produce personal, elegant, and powerful wines.”
Country
Spain
Region
La Rioja
Appellation(s)
Rioja Alta
Producer
Juan Carlos Sancha
Farming
Certified Organic Farming
Website
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Wine
Grapes
Tempranillo Blanco
Soil
Calcareous clay, sand, limestone
Viticulture
USDA Certified Organic. The vineyard was planted in 1997 at a height of 565 meters above sea level on terraces in the Najerilla Valley.
Viniculture
Manual harvest in 15 kg boxes during the second week of October. After destemming, the grapes are direct pressed and fermented in stainless steel. Yield: about 6,000 kg per hectare.
Wine
Grapes
Maturana Tinta
Soil
Calcareous clay, sand, limestone
Viticulture
USDA Certified Organic. The vineyard was planted in 1997 at an elevation of 565 meters above sea level on south-facing terraces in the Najerilla Valley.
Viniculture
Manual harvest in 15 kg boxes during the second week of October. After destemming, the grapes are placed in new 500-liter French Tronçais oak barrels in which alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation and aging are carried out. Aging: 11 months in new French oak Tronçais barrels of 500 liters capacity. Yield: about 5,500 kg per hectare.
Wine
Grapes
Monastel de Rioja
Soil
Calcareous clay, sand, limestone
Viticulture
USDA Certified Organic. The vineyard was planted in 1997 at an elevation of 565 meters above sea level on terraces in the Najerilla Valley.
Viniculture
Manual harvest in 15 kg boxes during the second week of October. After destemming, the grapes are placed in new 500-liter French Tronçais oak barrels in which alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation and aging are carried out. Aging: 11 months in new French oak Tronçais barrels of 500 liters capacity. Yield: about 5,000 kg per hectare.
Wine
Grapes
Garnacha
Soil
Calcareous clay, sand, limestone
Viticulture
USDA Certified Organic. 112 year old singular vineyard. The vineyards are planted on south facing slopes at an elevation of 700 meters above seal level.
Viniculture
Manual harvest in 15 kg boxes during the fourth week of October. After destemming, the grapes are placed in 500-liter French Tronçais oak barrels in which alcoholic fermentation and aging takes place. The wine remains in the barrels with the fermentation lees for 11 months. In all its elaboration and aging process this wine has not received sulfur or any other additive. Aging: 11 months in Tronçais French oak barrels of 500 liters capacity. Yield: a very low production of about 2,500 kg per hectare.