A PASSION FOR TEMPRANILLO
You won’t find many interviews with Isidro Palacios in English, as the technical director of Bodegas La Horra and Bodegas Roda does not speak the language. Yet his eloquent expressions and keen curiosity help you feel like you’re in tandem with his thoughts as he answers questions, with translation assistance from his wife Esperanza Tomás. She is not a plus one on this visit to Singapore, but is here as the director of I+d+i, the research and development arm of the wineries. Together, they bring together the emotional and technical traits that drive their passion project, shares Palacios and Tomás over a befitting Spanish lunch at Ola Cocina del Mar.
In 1986, Spain joined the European Union, during a decade when its emblematic Tempranillo grape was being modernised and recognised internationally. Bodegas Roda was established in 1987 in Rioja by Mario Rotllant and Carmen Daurella (“roda” was created from the first syllables of their names), and pursued a pure, refined vision of Tempranillo. Their first vintage was 1992, which was when Palacios joined the company.
Expanding their horizons, the team went in search of suitable terroir for Tempranillo outside of La Rioja, studying areas like Cigales, Toro and Arribes del Duero, before deciding on the Burgos district of Ribera del Duero, about a two-hour drive away. Bodegas La Horra was established in 2009, working only with old vine Tinta del País or Tinto Fino, as the local Tempranillo there is known. Within a short distance of their vines is Peter Sisseck’s Dominio de Pingus, established in 1995, which fetch in the region of US$1,000 a bottle. What they have in common is a landscape punctuated by the head-pruned Tempranillo bush vines, traditionally planted in the en vaso system and between 50 to 100 years old.
Palacios never tires of the Tempranillo – as viticulturist, it is his responsibility to oversee the best quality of grapes before handing it to the viniculture team. In a surprise segue, he also launches into a passionate explanation of olive oil, over the tasting of Aubocassa which the company created in 1998 in Mallorca. It turns out that Palacios is also responsible for olive oil, and took up a Masters in the topic to create a limestone-soil-based olive oil from a historical property. His interest in soil comes naturally; Palacios is from a family of agriculturalists, with a grandfather and father who owned small vineyards and made terrific wine. He went on to be a researcher at the Rioja Research Centre, obtained a Masters in Enology and Viticulture in Rioja, and joined the government service for a short while. His yearning to work more creatively led him to join Bodegas Roda when he met the owners of the new project.
The corymb is a beautiful sight when they bloom together. The term means a flat-topped inflorescence, where flower stalks from different levels grow to reach the same height. When Bodegas La Horra was looking to name their iconic range of wines, the humble corymb emblemised their teamwork and ideals, and so Corimbo and Corimbo I were born.
For Palacios, securing the right vineyards was key to getting the right wine, as so many mistakes had been made by newcomers in Ribera del Duero. The team wanted to avoid excessive oak ageing, maintain the freshness of the fruit, and carefully extract tannins for a smoother wine. After some challenges, he found the perfect vines belonging to the Balbás brothers and entered into an agreement to base the project on their 42 hectares of old bush vines. The high-altitude climate is mainly continental, with a growing season that’s shorter than Rioja by far. Their terroir is located between 800-870m above sea level, within a cooler area of the Douro riverbank and channelling cooler winds from the high zones.
100% Tempranillo The latest vintage is backed by dark cherries and blackberries with a medium- to full-bodied palate. Round and smooth tannins, with notes of balsamic and dark chocolate as it opens up. 100% Tempranillo Hailed by Decanter for its subtlety and consistency, Corimbo I balances beautifully between freshness and complexity, with a powerful texture that’s opening up well already. A match for fine meats and occasions.
“We’re looking for elegance and stylistic expression in the grapes,” explains Palacios. “We follow organic farming and harvest manually in 12kg crates, to capture all the details of its landscape adapted to each vintage. For instance, there was 619mm of rain in 2013 as opposed to 418mm in 2014, resulting in a late harvest and smaller elaboration.” Some vineyards in Rioja had botrytis (rot) in 2013, but Bodegas La Horra’s location brings it winds that favour the leaf, helping clusters to dry quickly after the rains.
Climate change weighs heavily on any winemaker, and La Horra is taking steps in the same direction as Roda to study over 500 biotypes of vines. “The idea is the same,” affirms Palacios, noting that they’ve already produced 60 plants of 60 biotypes for elaboration, looking to achieve higher acidity, lower alcohol and elegance despite the climate changing.”
Ultimately, even as Tomás works on whether the wines are technically correct and Palacios works on wines that are pleasurable at the table, husband and wife are in agreement on the results of Ribera del Duero – wines that are perhaps less known than Rioja, but definitely more expressive and emotional to the senses.
RODA I 2007 Grape: 100% Tempranillo Taste: Similar to the naming convention of Corimbo, Roda I is the ‘first’ wine and Roda is the ‘second’ wine. This long-lived gem shows the ageability of Tempranillo, with a deep palate that’s meditatively mellowed out now, graced by stewed cherry and fine oak structure.
Distributed by ewineasia.com