Gran Lerma – Bodegas Lerma

Gran Lerma Arlanza is Bodegas Lerma’s top cuvée: a 2018 Tempranillo Reserva from vines over 90 years old, aged up to 24 months in French oak barrels.

The Lerma winery

Bodegas Lerma is a family winery in the Arlanza appellation, on the banks of the Arlanza, a tributary of the Duero, in the ducal village of Lerma, 200 km north of Madrid. It has 30 hectares of century-old vines, mostly Tempranillo. Its winemaker, Oscar Navarro Balbás, the youngest of the family, made his first wine in 1992 and, with his brothers, helped bring the Arlanza DO to life in 2007.

Gran Lerma Arlanza: the wine

It is a 100% Tempranillo, hand-harvested on 6 October 2018. The vines, over 90 years old, are bush-trained in a single plot, Finca El Borro, less than 10 km from the winery, on alluvial, limestone and pebble soil. Yields never exceed 3,000 kg/ha, and the estate rules out any chemical input to preserve the authenticity of the terroir. The grapes are vinified as whole bunches, without destemming, in small vats, gently trodden and then worked by manual punch-downs during the fortnight of fermentation. Malolactic fermentation takes place in French oak barrels on the lees, for a very unctuous feel, followed by up to 24 months of ageing in second-use French oak barrels. The wine is 14.8% ABV.

Tasting notes

The colour is an intense, brilliant garnet with very lively violet hues. The nose first evokes scrubland, aromatic herbs and spicy notes reminiscent of clove, then, as it opens, ripe black fruit and fine woods. The palate is deep and balanced, round and full without losing freshness, structured by present, ripe tannins.

Food pairing

Its roundness and unctuousness make it ideal with red meat and game birds such as duck or pheasant, with sauces or a fruit garnish. It also pairs with white meats, ham, charcuterie, mature and blue cheeses.

Serving and keeping

Serve at 16 to 18°C in a large, fine wine glass. Kept in good conditions, cool and at a constant temperature, it will hold its qualities for a few years.

Discover more

Also discover Lerma Crianza, or browse our red wines and Spanish wines.

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