This
is a new project of the Moro family in Ribera del Duero. Most of the
124 acres belonging to Cepa 21 are located in the area directly surrounding
the winery and are composed of silt and clay with critical levels
of limestone.
Rootstocks
are selected for compatability with specific soil plots after thorough
analysis. These are then grafted on to an old Tinto de Toro clone
from Pesquera de Duero. Occasional applications of natural fertilizer
are used along with mechanical cultivation between rows.
Canopy
management and crop thinning at verasion aerates and reduces yields
to 8 to 10 clusters per vine. Harvest timing follows a strict ripeness
analysis based on brix, pH, total acidity, total anthocyans, easily
extractible anthocyans, total polyphenol index, tannins and average
berry weight. The harvest is sorted before destemming and fermentation
intemperature controlled steel vats.
Located
inside the vat cellar, the laboratory is the control center of the
winery; this is where the wine is monitored for density, malic acid,
volatile acidity, reductive sugars, assimilable nitrogen, sulfur,
color, tartaric stability, and micro-biological counts.
Cepa
21 spends 14 months in 85% new Allier French oak barrels and 15%
new American oak barrels. 5100 cases were produced, 400 for the USA.
2004
Cepa 21 earned 91 points in Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar:
“Dark
ruby. Vanilla and clove accent deep blackberry and plum aromas, with
complicating notes of dark chocolate and espresso. Lush, thick and
creamy, the dark fruit flavors showing serious weight and a brightening
mineral component. Thick and broad on the finish, with impressive
sweetness and excellent length. Really sexy stuff, with enough concentrated
fruit to make it delicious already.”
