Wine Article
2007 Cameron Hughes Tempranillo Campo de Borja The Flying Winemaker
Last edited on 9/1/2011 by RedValues
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Vintage: 2007
Appellation: Campo de Borja, Spain
Grape: Tempranillo
Alcohol by volume: 14.5%
Release date: February 1, 2009
Taste: Tempranillo is one of Spain's classic varieties. We discovered this wine in Campo de Borja, an outstanding region for Tempranillo. The vineyards are low-yield old vine at an elevation of 500 meters, obtaining the warm days and cool nights required for full flavor development. Following pressing, the wine was aged in oak and underwent malolactic fermentation to give smooth integration and depth of flavor. This wine shows loads of fruit with a rich, wild berry character and velvety tannin.
Cameron Confidential: Region: Campo de Borja is located in northwestern Spain near the city of Zaragoza. The region has a very continental climate with cold winters and a Mediterranean summer. The rainfall is low and averages about 400 mm per year. The first reference of vineyards in the Borja region dates back to 1203. Until 1835, the Veruela monks ruled the dominions and increased the agriculture in the region. In the 1950s, economic circumstances created the 6 cooperatives in the region. It is one of these that I have been working with for more than 6 years. During that time the change from co-op to major exporter has been revolutionary.
The high area of the D.O., whose vineyards spread out from 550 – 700 meters above sea level, corresponds to the foothills of the Moncayo mountain. They correspond to the vineyards situated in the areas of Alta de Ainzon and Fuendejalon, and also the municipalities of Tabuena, El Buste, and Vera. The middle area is characterized by having the vineyards with the largest concentration and density. It includes the vineyards situated between 450 – 550 meters above sea level. Here there are soils from the terraces of the La Huecha river, a tributary of the Ebro river, and all the soils are stony and ferrous-clay. Vintage time spans from August to the end of September.
Cameron's Notes: No complicated winemaking tricks here as the fruit concentration in the old vines is just glorious. One of the issues with Tempranillo is to retain fruit as it can be a fickle mistress and dry out very quickly. Following handpicking and crushing, the fruit is fermented with selected yeast and stays on skins for 12 days. Fermentation is done in epoxy-lined concrete tanks, which are ideal for maintaining a constant temperature. Following pressing with gentle pneumatic presses, where all the components are added back, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation with French oak integration. The wine is racked off lees and then bottled to enhance the fruit style.
Appellation: Campo de Borja, Spain
Grape: Tempranillo
Alcohol by volume: 14.5%
Release date: February 1, 2009
Taste: Tempranillo is one of Spain's classic varieties. We discovered this wine in Campo de Borja, an outstanding region for Tempranillo. The vineyards are low-yield old vine at an elevation of 500 meters, obtaining the warm days and cool nights required for full flavor development. Following pressing, the wine was aged in oak and underwent malolactic fermentation to give smooth integration and depth of flavor. This wine shows loads of fruit with a rich, wild berry character and velvety tannin.
Cameron Confidential: Region: Campo de Borja is located in northwestern Spain near the city of Zaragoza. The region has a very continental climate with cold winters and a Mediterranean summer. The rainfall is low and averages about 400 mm per year. The first reference of vineyards in the Borja region dates back to 1203. Until 1835, the Veruela monks ruled the dominions and increased the agriculture in the region. In the 1950s, economic circumstances created the 6 cooperatives in the region. It is one of these that I have been working with for more than 6 years. During that time the change from co-op to major exporter has been revolutionary.
The high area of the D.O., whose vineyards spread out from 550 – 700 meters above sea level, corresponds to the foothills of the Moncayo mountain. They correspond to the vineyards situated in the areas of Alta de Ainzon and Fuendejalon, and also the municipalities of Tabuena, El Buste, and Vera. The middle area is characterized by having the vineyards with the largest concentration and density. It includes the vineyards situated between 450 – 550 meters above sea level. Here there are soils from the terraces of the La Huecha river, a tributary of the Ebro river, and all the soils are stony and ferrous-clay. Vintage time spans from August to the end of September.
Cameron's Notes: No complicated winemaking tricks here as the fruit concentration in the old vines is just glorious. One of the issues with Tempranillo is to retain fruit as it can be a fickle mistress and dry out very quickly. Following handpicking and crushing, the fruit is fermented with selected yeast and stays on skins for 12 days. Fermentation is done in epoxy-lined concrete tanks, which are ideal for maintaining a constant temperature. Following pressing with gentle pneumatic presses, where all the components are added back, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation with French oak integration. The wine is racked off lees and then bottled to enhance the fruit style.