The 2011 Organza contains Viura (55 %), Malvasia (25 %) and Garnacha Blanca (20 %) grapes from 45- to 60-year-old vines in San Vicente de la Sonsierra planted on chalk-rich soils at 460 to 525 meters altitude fermented with yeasts from their own vineyards in new French oak barrels after a 14-hour cold soak. The wine is aged in contact with the fine lees for eight months and the lees were stirred twice per week during the first six months. The nose is quite primary, with notes of fruit, white flowers and plenty of fennel and aniseed over the subtle aromas of lees and smoke tones. The palate is fresh, with strong flavors of aniseed, candied orange skin and white fruit, some creaminess from the well-integrated oak and very good acidity. 9,226 bottles were produced. Drink now-2020.
I tasted through the portfolio of three wineries belonging to the Eguren family and realized they were constantly mentioning that the wines were fermented with “yeast coming from their own vineyard,” so I queried winemaker Marcos Eguren what that really meant. It turns out that they have been carrying out an extensive study of the natural yeasts in their vineyards and found that 99% of the existing yeasts were non-saccharomyces. They have isolated two or three of this non-saccharomyces yeasts and a saccharomyces from their own vineyards which are subsequently used for the fermentation of their wines. These yeasts are kept at -80o C at the Navarra University, which is part of this research to avoid changes and mutations from happening. The study has not yet concluded. These are the wines from the Sierra Cantabria winery in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, which were extremely impressive and pure.
Imported by Fine Estates from Spain, Dedham, MA; tel. (781) 461-5767