ORBEN Rioja 2006 Producer Orben is a new estate in Rioja Alavesa from the same team behind Izadi, with the aim of producing a single estate Rioja that rivals the best of the region. The Izadi family owns 75% of the property, with the remaining 25% being split between 50 of Spain.s top restaurants. Vineyards The vineyards benefit from the mitigating influence of the Atlantic Ocean here, giving the resulting wines fresher acidity, important in a very warm climate. This area has the highest percentage of old vines in Rioja.The grapes for this wine come from a selection of 79 plots of an average size of 0,30 hectares, located in Laguardia. The vineyards are planted between 1945 and 1954 and have an average yield of 4 tonnes/ha. The bush vine vineyards are planted on limestone and clay soil at an altitude of around 450m above sea level. Vinification The grapes were hand picked into 15kg boxes and manually selected on the sorting table. After fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, the wine was aged for 12 months in new French oak and the malolactic fermentation took place. The wine was bottled in June 2008. Tasting Notes Intense garnet red in colour, this wine has complex perfumes of wild dark fruits with hints of balsamic, light toast and toffee on the nose. It is well structured, fleshy on the palate, with concentrated ripe fruit flavours, and a long, smoky finish. Find this wine at www.winestore.co.uk Price: £135.37 (Including VAT at 20%)