Description
Más Que Vinos was founded in La Rioja in 1998 by three winemaker friends, Margarita Madrigal, Alexandra Schmedes and Gonzalo Rodriguez. Seeing the great potential of the vineyards in Gonzalo’s hometown of Dosbarrios, they launched their own winery project, rescuing old plots of indigenous grape varieties and moving to organic viticulture. They renovated the old family winery (from 1851) and in 2007 constructed a new modern winery in nearby Cabañas de Yepes. Today, Más Que Vinos owns the 35-hectare Finca Horcajo and farms another 35 hectares in Dosbarrios, Cabañas de Yepes and Villarrubia. The area of the villages Dosbarrios and Cabañas de Yepes is called the Meseta de Ocaña and is located 60 kilometers east of Toledo. The climate is continental, with very cold, dry winters and hot summers. Due to the high altitude (750 meters) the warm summer days are accompanied by cool nights—ideal conditions for perfect ripening of Cencibel, the local clone of Tempranillo. Cencibel is uniquely suited to the harsh climate, with its smaller, more compact bunch size and thicker skins, which withstand the area’s heavy winds.
The biggest threat to these old vines is not the extreme conditions they face each year—whipping winds, blistering heat, bitter cold, lack of rain—it’s the local rabbits. Cute as they may be, the destruction they cause is massive, taking out entire hectares of vineyards each year. Hence, the label: Los Conejos Malditos (“The Cursed Rabbits”). From 20-year-old organic estate vineyard parcels grown on limestone and clay soils at 750 meters elevation. Handpicked at the end of September, the grapes were macerated for 8 hours before the rosé juice was drawn off and fermented separately in stainless-steel tanks under strict temperature control. Aged sur lie in stainless steel until December. The Conejos Malditos Rosado shows bright flavors of tart strawberries and sour cherry. Medium bodied with plenty of juicy fruit and tangy acidity all the way through the lip-smacking finish. An insane value at only $15 retail!
