URBINA WINERY IN LA RIOJA (SPAIN): DESCRIPTION, VINEYARDS AND PHILOSOPHY
- Family Winery: Bodegas Urbina is a family winery with four generations since 1870 dedicated to grape growing and winemaking. The present winery designed, built and run by the family URBINA since 1986 has been created solely to facilitate the mission of the winemaker at the time of producing fine wines. The winemaking for commercialization dates from 1870 and performed in ancient underground Cuzcurrita drafts.
- Own Vineyards: Bodegas Urbina has 75 hectares of native varieties of Rioja, whose sole purpose is the quality of their wines. The wines are a combination of grapes from Cuzcurrita, the westernmost part of the DOC Rioja; It produces wines with great aging potential, fit for the Gran Reserva and Uruñuela vineyards located in the heart of the appellation produce wines of great consistency and body, very nice.
- Limited Production: Bodegas Urbina has the capacity to produce 300.000 bottles of red Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva and 50.000 bottles of White and Rose grapes from their own vineyards, which are grown under traditional practices, not using herbicides and limiting use of pesticides and fungicides. The cultivation is done in low-trained (vignes basses) and trellis, and does not force the production, not exceeding the 4,500 Kgrs. / Ha. Within the production capacity, wines are selected in order to be labeled as URBINA.
Product Description: Bodegas URBINA currently offers a wide range of oenological possibilities, wines can be classified into three ranges:
Unoaked Straight Varietal Wine:
- WHITE URBINA 2011 [POPULAR PREMIUM] (86 Parker Points)
- ROSE URBINA 2011 [POPULAR PREMIUM]
- URBINA GARNACHA 2012 [POPULAR PREMIUM] (85 Parker Points)
- URBINA TEMPRANILLO 2011 [POPULAR PREMIUM]
Classic Wines of Rioja (the quality that has made the name famous worldwide Rioja):
- URBINA CRIANZA 2007 [POPULAR PREMIUM] 50% of our production, Crianza 2005: 88 Parker Points, Urbina Crianza 2006 Silver Medal Decanter World Wine Awards 2012) 2007 Yet to be rated.
- URBINA SELECCION 1999 [POPULAR PREMIUM]
- URBINA RESERVA ESPECIAL 1998 [SUPER PREMIUM] Selected by British Airways (Urbina Classic Style Reserva, 87 Parker Points)
- URBINA RESERVA ESPECIAL 2001 [SUPER PREMIUM] 90 Parker Points
- TINTO GRAN RESERVA ESPECIAL URBINA 91/94/95/96 [ICON] 92 Parker Points (the 94, Urbina Gran Reserva 1986 Highly Recommended by Decanter Magazine in 1993)
Modern wines (Rioja reinterpretation of the recent trends in wine):
- URBINA RESERVA ESPECIAL 2004 [SUPER PREMIUM] 87 Parker Points
- URBINA RESERVA ESPECIAL 2005 [SUPER PREMIUM]
- PLOT 2006 (AUTHOR WINE) [ICON]
WHITE URBINA 2011
The 2008 White Viura is 100% fermented and aged in stainless steel. Medium straw-colored, it Offers up a nose of melon, apple, and pear. On the palate it is smooth-textured, flavorful, and lively. This nicely balanced Offering Should drink well for Another 3 years.
Average price: $16
ROSE URBINA 2011
100% Tempranillo, 48 hours maceration at 10 ° C and Fermentation at 18 º C. Pinkish-red. Very pleasant fruity aromas and complex. Compact taste and very smooth, with long aftertaste.
Average price: $16
URBINA GARNACHA 2012
100% Garnacha made by carbonic maceration at 20 º C for 10 days. Cherry red with ruby-red reflections. Intense primary aromas with hints of red fruit, elegant, fruity aromas and complex very nice. Fresh on the palate with good body, strong sense of fresh fruit balanced.
Average price: $16
URBINA TEMPRANILLO 2011
100% Tempranillo, maceration for 15 days at 25 º C. Intense red cherry, with Ruby very bright, upper middle layer. Intense primary aromas of red fruits, strawberries and raspberries, elegant, discovering slight aromas of licorice and flowers. Fresh taste, good body, feeling strong and balanced flavors of nuts.
Average price: $16
URBINA CRIANZA 2007
95% and 5% Tempranillo and Graciano Mazuelo. Fermentation at 28 º C and macerated for 28 days in stainless steel tanks, the wine spends in oak barrels for 12 months after it is bottled and a minimum of 6 months in bottle before release. Cherry-ruby color, balanced, nuanced black currant on the palate, good structure and persistence. This wine comes from vines that reach 20 years of age, but all coming from our high quality vineyards.
Average price: $22
URBINA TINTO SELECCIÓN 1999
95% and 5% Tempranillo and Graciano Mazuelo. This wine comes from the best grapes from the winery, all from vineyards over 20 years. These are wines that reach the winery Gran Reserva quality. Fermentation at 28 º C and macerated for 28 days. Stay 16 months in oak barrels. Color ruby red with purple tones. Intense aroma of fruit. Pleasant complex flavors and intense aftertaste. Well conserved at temperatures between 15 º and 18 º develop its great qualities and will become a type Gran Reserva, after 3 or 4 years.
URBINA RESERVA ESPECIAL 2001
100% Tempranillo. This wine comes from the best grapes from vines over 20 years old. Aged two years in French oak and American and approximately two years in the bottle. Dark colored. Nose of medium intensity, which appears very fine black fruit assembled perfectly with the oak. Very round without any edge, the epitome of harmony and balance. This wine also combines very well with all meals and times of day. The prescriber and most famous world's wine guru Robert Parker gave it 90 points.
The 2001 Seleccion Especial was produced from organically grown fruit from 50+-year-old vines. It was aged for 24 months in French and American oak. It is dark ruby-colored with a funky/earthy nose that also reveals crushed rock, spice box, and black cherry. Made in a traditional style, it is graceful on the palate with silky red fruits, lively acidity, excellent balance, and a pure finish. It can be enjoyed now and over the next 6-8 years.
Average price: $45
URBINA RESERVA ESPECIAL 2005 (UVAS PASAS)
100% Tempranillo aged 24 months in American and French oak. In the vineyard a late harvest is made and thus looking for a raisin grape on the vine. The color is dark and opaque. The aromas are reminiscent of raisins. The first step in the mouth creates an explosion of fruit in our taste buds, is a tasting flavors across disappearing rapidly and cleaning our taste buds of previous sensations. It is therefore often used at the start of weddings accompanying tapas, appetizers and hors d'oeuvres before the banquet. It is a unique wine.
Average price: $45
URBINA RESERVA ESPECIAL 1998
95% Tempranillo and 5% Graciano and Mazuelo. This wine comes from the best grapes from the winery, all from vineyards over 20 years. It has been 12 months in new oak and 12 months in 7 years oak. And in bottle has been 12 months before commercialization. Dark ruby color with amber tones, rich bouquet of vanilla oak, elegant, attractive sweet mid palate with good concentrated ripe fruit, excellent length, classic and complex.
Average price: $45
URBINA GRAN RESERVA ESPECIAL 91/94/95/96
90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. This wine comes from the best grapes from the Estate, all from vines over 20 years. Fermentation at 28 º C and macerated the last 28 days, followed by 24 months in oak and 48 months in bottle. Garnet-red color, splendid maturity, complexity on the nose, the palate is seen in the harmonious and balanced oak and fruit tannins, elegant and velvety soft, and wonderful length.
The 1994 Gran Reserva Especial (from a great vintage) is medium ruby colored with a lovely bouquet of cherry blossom, earth notes, spice box, leather, black cherry, and plum. On the palate it is multifaceted, elegant, concentrated, impeccably balanced, and holding strong. It should drink nicely for another 10-15 years if not longer.
Average price: $50
PLOT 2006 (AUTOR WINE)
Collected only the best bunches of tempranillo making even several harvests in the same vineyard to pick the fruit in its highest expression. Stays six months in new oak barrels completely French Allier forest in which the batonnage technique is made and aging on lees and only when the moon is full or is waning. Vivid appearance, with violet and purple in its lining. Aromatic intensity showing black fruits such as blueberries and cranberries, along with these shows a clear and frank wood, highlighting the aroma of cedar and white pepper characteristic of French oak. The palate is powerful, shows its structure, is tasty, while cool and long-emphasizing its highly fruity aftertaste. It is a wine to impress.