Akutain Rioja Alta Crianza 2019

With almost 40 years of experience under their belt, Bodega Akutain produces classically-styled Rioja wines exclusively from their own 6.5 hectares of vineyards located near the town of Haro, in the subzone Rioja Alta, widely considered to be the most prestigious terruño for producing age-worthy Rioja wines. Akutain hand harvests, ferments with native yeasts with little extraction, and works with old oak for elevage; the resultant wines are throwbacks to Rioja’s past - 12.5 to 13% alcohol, beautifully aromatic, nuanced, and age-worthy.

The Akutain vineyards are situated in the valley of the River Tirón in the sub-zone of Rioja Alta. The moderately high elevation, influence of the two rivers, clay-calcareous soils, and continental climate with Atlantic and Mediterranean influences, make Rioja Alta one of the most hospitable environs for ripening the Tempranillo grape.

Hand-harvested from the family parcels, fermented in fiberglass & steel vats with native yeasts and a short maceration, and raised for 14-16 months in used American & French oak. As with all of Akutain’s wines, this was bottled without fining or filtration, and sees at least one additional year in the bottle before release. This is a juicy and dark-fruited wine, with sweet baking spice undertones.