Amancio 2016

 Guía Proensa awards 100 points to Amancio 2016

21 wines from Viñedos y Bodegas Sierra Cantabria scored over 90 points in Guía Proensa 2020.

In this edition, Guía Proensa 2020 once again welcomes the new vintages of the Eguren family's wines with high scores, with fourteen wines above 95 points. On the podium is Amancio 2016, which in this edition confirms the top score of 100 points it also achieved in the 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 vintages. An emblematic family wine made from Tempranillo from the La Veguilla vineyard, named after the founder's great-grandfather and first generation.

Close behind with 99 points are Teso La Monja 2016 and Alabaster 2017 from Teso La Monja (DO Toro), La Nieta 2017 from Viñedos de Páganos (DOCa Rioja), Finca El Bosque 2017 from Viñedos Sierra Cantabria (DOCa Rioja) and San Vicente 2016 (DOCa Rioja) made by Señorío de San Vicente.

The Eguren family's new jewel, Sierra Cantabria Mágico 2016 from Viñedos Sierra Cantabria (DOCa Rioja), reaches 98 points. It comes from the small El Vardallo vineyard, planted after phylloxera in the early 20th century with great varietal diversity, both red and white. Among the reds are 65% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 2.5% Graciano, 1% Petit Bouschet and 1.1% other varieties. Among the whites are 4.4% Calagraño, 3.2% Turruntés and 2.8% Viura.

With the same score, Victorino 2017 from Teso La Monja (DO Toro) is among the highest rated. Sierra Cantabria Second Edition is also at the top of the ‘ranking’ with 97 points. This wine comes from the 1.49-hectare San Pelayo estate in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, on the slopes of the new Viñedos Sierra Cantabria winery, planted in 1960 (100% Tempranillo).

Sierra Cantabria CVC Second Edition is a blend of three vintages: 2006, 2008 and 2011.

Next with 97 points are El Puntido 2016 from Viñedos de Páganos (DOCa Rioja) and Sierra Cantabria Colección Privada 2017 from Viñedos Sierra Cantabria (DOCa Rioja).

Amancio red is one of Sierra Cantabria's newest stars. It's made by the Eguren brothers (Viñedos de Páganos, Sierra Cantabria, San Vicente, Teso La Monja) from Tempranillo vines on the exceptional 15-hectare La Veguilla estate. It's a "super-expressive" Rioja, with firm tannins and a very fleshy, broad, full and persistent texture. A long-ageing red, to enjoy with the finest red meat.

Among their most prestigious estates is La Veguilla, 10 rocky hectares planted with Tempranillo and a small share of Viura and Malvasia. After careful selection of its vines, which naturally produce only 2 or 3 bunches, hand-picking and meticulous ageing, the prestigious Amancio is made.

Another important estate for the winery, El Bosque, is planted with Tempranillo and covers 1.5 hectares of clay-sand soil with an abundance of pebbles and alluvial traces.

Their traditional viticulture is rooted in the methods of their ancestors and respects the environment, but is updated and refined with modern techniques. It stands out for the complete absence of insecticides and herbicides, the use of copper and sulphur and organic fertilisation, making native flora and fauna common in their vineyards. Aiming to make great wines from single vineyards, the Eguren brothers began working hard on the La Llana, Los Terreros, Jararte, El Bosque and La Veguilla estates, the source of charismatic wines such as Sierra Cantabria Cuvée, Sierra Cantabria Organza, Sierra Cantabria Colección Privada, Finca El Bosque and Amancio. These wines result from the most meticulous selection of bunches, in many cases destemmed by hand and crushed traditionally for the gentlest extraction.

In some trellised vineyards, picking is done selectively by hand, choosing the best fruit and removing any bunches not perfectly ripe, using boxes of just 20 kilos.

For Finca El Bosque and Amancio, once the bunches reach the winery they're destemmed by hand and all the fruit is examined berry by berry to select the best. Alcoholic fermentation in stainless-steel vats and malolactic fermentation in steel vats, or in oak barrels for the top wines, complete the process before ageing.