Like only a few bodegas in Spain, especially in the Rioja region, the La Rioja Alta bodega, founded in Haro in 1890, is a bastion of the country's tradition. As if time seemed to stand still, all the temptations of new and short-lived fashions have been consistently resisted here, and a classic and timeless Rioja style has been cultivated, as it has prevailed for many decades, so that every bottle of La Rioja Alta also offers a piece of Rioja history in a glass. And even though the wine was initially sold in barrels, which used to be the norm, the bodega switched to bottling as early as 1941. New winery buildings were built in 1970 and the 1990s, as the vineyards cover 415 hectares and need to be cultivated. In contrast to other bodegas, only grapes from the estate's own vineyards are processed. And these are first subjected to a strict selection process before they are allowed to be pressed. Despite the size of the vineyard, there are not too many grapes available for wine production, as the yields from the old vineyards of La Rioja Alta are extremely low and are further reduced by the strict selection process. The wines are matured and stored in the estate's own cooperage, which provides the barrels. These in turn are made from American oak, the wood of which has previously been stored for 2 years. Around 30,000 barrels are constantly in use in the bodega. But of course, modernity has not stopped at the gates of the glorious bodega. Increasingly, the focus is on organic viticulture according to current knowledge, CO2 emissions have been radically reduced and water is recycled for further use. Wines such as the "Vina Ardanza Reserva", the "Gran Reserva 904", which refers to the year 1904, when the winery merged with that of founding member Alfredo Ardanza, and the "Gran Reserva 890", which bears the year the winery was founded on the label, have long since become great classics of the region. However, new creations such as the "Vina Alberdi" are also held in the highest esteem by experts and Rioja fans.
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