Castillo de Mendoza -- 'Vitarán' Tinto Rioja Crianza

For the Mendoza family, wine has been a way of life for them for centuries, to be shared with family and friends. In 1994, Eloy Antonio took it to the next level with plans to restore an old 17th century distillery into a winery. Bodegas Castillo de Mendoza was born. They are also pioneers in the Rioja region, leading the return to organic agriculture. They planted their first organic vineyard in 2000, and it is now a set of vineyards surrounded by a natural wooded environment full of native plants and animals.

What do you get when you combine a 500 year old castle with more than 100 years of family history? A really cool estate in the heart of Rioja. Add in natural winemaking and super clean, consistent results? That’s Castillo de Mendoza for you.

This is a really well-made traditional style Crianza (young) Rioja, with just enough oak aging to soften things up a bit.

Grape: Tempranillo 100%

Region: Rioja, Spain

Farming: Organic, hand harvested

Winery: Spontaneous fermentation with ambient yeast, minimal SO2/filtration, zero additives, aged 1 year in French & American oak, 1 year in bottle