Bodegas Luis Canas Reserva Seleccion de la Familia 2019

94 Points - Decanter

85% Tempranillo 15% Cabernet

Producer Profile
Bodegas Luis Cañas has been at the heart of Rioja since 1928 and has played an enormous role in shaping the Alavesa’s – and Rioja’s – modern incarnation.

Comprising some of the region’s best and highest altitude vineyards, the soil in this area is thin and produces small bunches – perfect for making highly concentrated Rioja wines. The vineyards are divided into hundreds of individual plots, each planted with gnarly old bush vines on chalky-clay soils that shelter under the magnificent Sierra de Cantabria range. Rioja Alavesa has the largest number of ‘Viñedo Singulares’ in Rioja and Luis Cañas is an exemplary producer of single vineyard wines from the region. The estate’s director of viticulture, Rubén Jiménez, is celebrated for the important research he has conducted into identifying special sites in the Alavesa, as well as recovering an extraordinary number of ‘lost and ancient’ varieties from the family’s vineyards. He was named Grower of the Year by Tim Atkin MW in 2023 for the vital work he is doing to advance and safeguard the region. In 2016, Juan Luis, son of Luis Cañas, opened Bodegas Amaren in the neighbouring village of Samaniego and named his own son, Jon Cañas, as winemaker.

Viticulture
With 350 hectares of outstanding vineyards, split across 870 different plots, the viticultural department control every aspect. Each of the plots has its own personality and is categorised and used for different wines according to its characteristics. Vines are situated on slopes and terraces of limestone and clay soil, well exposed to the sun, and are at least 45 years old.

Winemaking
Upon entering the Bodega, the grapes were cold macerated for 72 hours. Fermentation at 26º C in sealed cement tanks under temperature control, with the must pumped over daily. The wine is aged in medium toasted American and French oak. The total period in barrels is 20 months. After the final racking, it is clarified, decanted and bottled directly without any type of filtration. Because this wine’s evolutionary cycle is quite slow, only corks of the highest quality available are used to ensure long ageing potential.

Tasting Note
A beautiful ruby colour. A clean nose with good intensity. Complex aromas of leather, ripe sweet fruit and herbs over a base of fine oak. Palate: Potent and juicy with structure and good tenacity. The finish shows lots of spice and is ample, complex, long and persistent.

Food Matching
Best served with pasta dishes, roasted lamb and beef, stews and poultry.