Bodegas Laukote
Truth be told, we started Skin Contact Wines to work with Norberto Aguillo, the owner of Bodgeas Laukote. When he visited us in New York, we were struck by his dedication to his small estate of old vine Viura and Tempranillo not to mention his charming stubbornness. Traveling through Rioja, you’ll find few estates ready to embrace a natural approach to grape growing and winemaking. Not so with Laukote. There Norberto has taken an experimental approach to tending the 30-100 year old vines on his estate in the Rioja Alavesa. He cares deeply for this land that has been in his family since his great grandparents owned it before the Spanish Civil War. He farms a section of his vineyards organically and is certified. On older plots, he partners with the local agronomist school to experiment with biodynamic techniques, though he obstinately refuses to go through the certification process. How does he manage to produce health grapes in the most marginal of Rioja’s sub-zones? For Norberto, it all comes down to hard work, perseverance, and long days in the vineyard.
The same could be said of his work in the cellar. Operating out of a small warehouse, Norberto meticulously makes each cuvee to represent the unique soils, climate, and traditions of Rioja Alavesa. An intensely proud Basque, Norberto sees Alavesa as the most authentic representation of Rioja wines. Because of its elevation and proximity to the Atlantic, it is has the coolest temperature. Its soils are uniquely rich in limestone and chalk. Norberto’s winemaking aims to capture this terroir in his finished wines. As such, handpicked fruit ferments with native yeasts, spends short (for the region) periods in used barrels, and receives minimal sulfur doses. Norbeto eschews the esoteric quality regulations for the region which are based on aging in barrel and bottle. As a result, his wines are a far cry from the dried out, oak dominant wines that the region is known for. Instead they showcase the intensity, purity, and balance of organic and biodynamically farmed old vines.
Website: bodegaslaukote.com
Carbonic Maceration Tempranillo, Rioja Alavesa
Laukote releases this wine as the first of the vintage every Spring. Fruit from certified organic younger vines are hand harvested and placed directly into the fermentation tank which is then sealed. Fermentation occurs with native yeast and without added sulfur over 15 days. Once the cap of skins and stalks sinks to the bottom of the tank, the wine is ready to be bottled. As the ancient stone fermenters in the basements of the nearby town Laguardia attest to, this is the traditional way of making wine in Rioja, before the methods of the Bordelaise were imported. The resulting wine has excellent fruit concentration while its soft tannins and bright acid encourage a light chill.
Shelf Talker
Laukote releases this wine as the first of the vintage every Spring. Fruit from certified organic younger vines are hand harvested and placed directly into the fermentation tank which is then sealed. Fermentation occurs with native yeast and without added sulfur over 15 days. Once the cap of skins and stalks sinks to the bottom of the tank, the wine is ready to be bottled. As the ancient stone fermenters in the basements of the nearby town Laguardia attest to, this is the traditional way of making wine in Rioja, before the methods of the Bordelaise were imported. The resulting wine has excellent fruit concentration while its soft tannins and bright acid encourage a light chill.
Shelf Talker
Borg, Rioja Alavesa
An homage to the original methods of production in Alavesa, ‘Borg’ has all of the freshness and honesty of Norberto’s ‘Carbonic Maceration Tempranillo’ with the added intensity that comes from pigeage by foot. Donning a respirator, Norberto enters the tank during fermentation, risking asphyxiation from carbon dioxide, to tread the grapes using only the soft balls of his feet. He then leaves the tank to allow it to complete fermentation over a period of days. After racking off the skins and resting in tank for 6 months, the wine is ready to be bottled without filtration and minimal sulfur. Because of this labor intensive process, ‘Borg’ has fuller style, richer in extract but still delicate with velvety tannins and balanced acidity.
Shelf Talker
An homage to the original methods of production in Alavesa, ‘Borg’ has all of the freshness and honesty of Norberto’s ‘Carbonic Maceration Tempranillo’ with the added intensity that comes from pigeage by foot. Donning a respirator, Norberto enters the tank during fermentation, risking asphyxiation from carbon dioxide, to tread the grapes using only the soft balls of his feet. He then leaves the tank to allow it to complete fermentation over a period of days. After racking off the skins and resting in tank for 6 months, the wine is ready to be bottled without filtration and minimal sulfur. Because of this labor intensive process, ‘Borg’ has fuller style, richer in extract but still delicate with velvety tannins and balanced acidity.
Shelf Talker