Finca Antigua Crianza 2009
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Parker
Robert
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
Pair this wine with cured ham, Paella Morisco, and migas with lamb cutlets.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Finca Antigua Crianza is a blend of 50% Tempranillo, 20% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah raised in French and American oak for 15 months. It has a pleasant bouquet of black cherries, fresh fig and Christmas cake that is well-defined, hints of licorice developing with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent red fruit, well-judged acidity and a composed, sensual finish.
Other Vintages
2012-
Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert
Finca Antigua was established in 2003 by brother-and-sister team Carlos and Pilar Martínez-Bujanda Irribarria, whose family has been making wine since 1889. The vision of Finca Antigua is to create a facility that balances wine styles with the latest technologies, while always respecting the family’s enduring, time-honored winemaking traditions. At sharp contrast with the fresh, bucolic landscape, stands a structure of steel, stone and cement housing the equipment used to transform Finca Antigua harvests into spectacular wines. The estate is located on a prime parcel of land between the provinces of Cuenca and Toledo in DO La Mancha. The high altitude, soil of loam and limestone, and climate fluctuations from hot days to cool nights endow the vineyard with optimal growing conditions. A number of indigenous and international varieties thrive in the soil, the majority being Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo; but Syrah, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Graciano, Viura, Gewurztraminer, and Moscatel are also grown. The vineyards are marked by a multitude of old vines for which the property is named. All Finca Antigua wines are estate-grown and bottled. Although the 21st century has brought modernization and automation to the winemaking process, the mission of the Familia Martínez-Bujanda has always remained true to the original intent of Joaquín Martínez-Bujanda from over a century ago: Control of the vineyards is essential to making complex wines. Each generation has sought to best utilize each location, taking into account the altitude, microclimate, soil and characteristics unique to each terroir, to create wines that capture its essence. They continue to nourish the vineyards with organic matter and employ modern and traditional winemaking techniques to produce the best-quality wine possible from each parcel.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
The Moors gave it the name, ‘Manxa,’ which fittingly means ‘parched earth.’ La Mancha, the largest Spanish wine producing region in all of Spain, is one of its hottest and driest. Sturdy and drought-resistant white varieietes like Airen, Viura and Verdejo thrive in this environment.