Arinzano La Casona 2008
Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
In the 16th Century, Mosen Lope de Eulate, a noble and the advisor to the King Juan de Labrit, chose the estate as the ideal site for the construction of his palace. By the 18th century, the property had passed to the hands of the Marquess of Zabalegui, who ordered the construction of a rural mansion where he could enjoy the natural beauty of the estate.
At the turn of the 19th century his children constructed a small chapel dedicated to San Martin de Tours, the patron saint of winemaking. This chapel stood as a final monument to the noble history of this viticultural estate as the pillars of Spanish nobility fell apart and the estate fell into disuse.
Today, the magnificent estate, designed by renowned Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, provides the inspiration for a new brand identity for the Arinzano Estate. It stands out based on the uniqueness of the terroir, its history, art and environment, and the exceptional potential to give life to wines that would be a reference of the highest quality and singular character. The most advanced and careful techniques are used to guarantee an artisanal treatment through the whole winemaking process, and we pursue a viticulture that not only respects, but actually favors the natural environment.
As a result, Arinzano is one of the few estates in all of Spain to be recognized with Pago status, and the first Pago in the North of Spain.
Spanish red wine is known for being bold, heady, rustic and age-worthy, Spain is truly a one-of-a-kind wine-producing nation. A great majority of the country is hot, arid and drought-ridden, and since irrigation has only been recently introduced and (controversially) accepted, viticulture has sustained—and flourished—only through a great understanding of Spain’s particular conditions. Large spacing between vines allows each enough resources to survive and as a result, the country has the most acreage under vine compared to any other country, but is usually third in production.
Of the Spanish red wines, the most planted and respected grape variety is Tempranillo, the star of Spain’s Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions. Priorat specializes in bold red blends, Jumilla has gained global recognition for its single varietal Monastrell and Utiel-Requena has garnered recent attention for its reds made of Bobal.