A light ruby color with intense red berry fruit aromas and chocolate notes. Sour cherries in the mouth with lively acidity. An irresistible, all purpose wine that is spicy, juicy, balanced and ready to drink.

The Cortijo III Tinto is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha fermented and aged in stainless steel. It shows off a terrific aromatic array of cherry, black raspberry, and earth notes leading to a surprisingly rich, full-flavored wine with plenty of savory fruit and a lengthy, pure finish. It is an exceptional value.

Review

The 2008 Cortijo III Tinto is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha fermented and aged in stainless steel. It shows off a terrific aromatic array of cherry, black raspberry, and earth notes leading to a surprisingly rich, full-flavored wine with plenty of savory fruit and a lengthy, pure finish. It is an exceptional value. -RP 89

Technical notes

Cortijo Tinto is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha fermented in stainless steel. 15% of the juice is bled off prior to maceration at low temperature. Post fermentation maceration lasts 10 days after which 50% of the wine ages for 5-6 months in three year old oak barrels and the remainder in stainless steel.

Producer

Bodegas Don Sancho de Londono is a 103 acre property located in Rioja Alta, Spain. The continental Atlantic climate of moderately warm days and cool nights ripens grapes slowly, optimizing freshness, aromatics, fruit character and ripe tannins in the wines. The vineyards are situated at 1,865 feet and are planted on a mixture of thin red clay, sandy limestone and alluvial sediment. Winemaker David Sampedro began his career at Faustino, followed by stints at Campillo and Mibal in Ribera del Duero.