El Pedal Tempranillo Rioja

Finca La Emperatriz -The Empress’s Estate- is an historic vineyard in Baños de Rioja that once belonged to the last Empress of France, Eugenia de Montijo.

12 km from Haro, nestled between the Sierra de Cantabria and Sierra de la Demanda mountain ranges, Finca La Emperatriz is located in the north western end of the Rioja DOC, at 570 m above sea level in one of the highest plateaux in the Rioja Alta.

In 1996, the Hernáiz family purchased that same estate, and brothers Eduardo and Victor Hernáiz took charge of a project aimed at producing quality wines.

Part of the vineyard, the older vines, is officially classified in Rioja as a “Viñedo Singular”, a new system in Rioja since 2017, which is the equivalent to the Cru system in France to identify and protect outstanding pieces of vineyard. Of just 200 Ha in the whole of Rioja, Finca la Emperatriz accounts for 35 Ha., all in one piece.

The soil of Finca La Emperatriz is unique in La Rioja. A poor, extremely hard soil, which provides the wines with a distinctive elegance and minerality and great ageing potential

This wine is made exclusively from Tempranillo grapes, mostly grown on bush vines of over
30 years old. Although all the grapes come from Rioja Alta vineyards, they come from climate
areas which are less extreme than the family’s best-known vineyard, “La Emperatriz”. Less
atlantic influence means that the wines do not require such a long ageing

Fermentation is in concrete and stainless steel tanks, at low temperatures and with gentle pumpovers. The malolactic fermentation takes place in a mixture of cements tanks, a 5,000-litre wooden vat and used 500-litre oak barrels.

Ageing is for 5 months, split between the cement tanks, the wooden vat and the oak barrels. At the beginning of spring. Before bottling, 10% of wine from the previous vintage is blended
in. This wine has spent a year in barrel.

Bright cherry colour with a violet rim. Youthful and fragrant, with aromas of violets and wild forest fruits over a background of toasted bread and strawberry fruit gums and caramel.

On the palate these primary fruit characteristics continue to dominate, like a fine summer pudding of berries.