Arrayán Selección 2019
A harmonious blend from a very special estate
The Sierra de Gredos is an area that's currently on the upswing and has managed to capture the attention of critics and consumers alike. José María Entrecanales and María Marsans started up their winery project here 25 years ago: Bodegas Arrayán. The firm is now a leading name in the wine industry in the centre of the country, owing largely to the excellent work of winemaker Maite Sánchez. Arrayán Selección 2019 brings together the four French grape varieties planted on their La Verdosa estate (Toledo): Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. And it’s been aged for 11 months in French oak.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
Consumption time
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
10% Petit Verdot, 30% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot
Type of barrel
French oak barrels
Type of bottle
Bordeaux
Barrel aging time
11 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Total acidity (g/l)
5.5
pH
3.35
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14
General Information
Arrayán Selección 2019 is an organic wine made from a blend of 30% Syrah, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. The grapes come from La Verdosa, an estate (Toledo) where the vines grow in sandy soil at 510 metres above sea level.
Cold pre-fermentative maceration of each variety for 24 hours. Temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks for approximately 15 days. After malolactic fermentation in tanks, the wine was aged in French oak barrels for 11 months, followed by a further 12 months in the bottle.
Founded by José María Entrecanales in 1999, Bodegas Arrayán is located in a beautiful area of wood pasture near Madrid: Finca La Verdosa (Toledo). Here Entrecanales decided to plant international varieties on the advice of guru Richard Smart, who conducted a complete study of the soils of Finca La Verdosa and equipped the vineyard – spanning 26 hectares – with drip irrigation and radiofrequency stations to regulate the plants' needs.
The vineyard planted back then – with Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot – lies at an altitude of about 500 m above sea level in poor, sandy soils that lend the wines finesse, surrounded by woodland. The vineyards have a continental climate with hot summers. All these factors mark the character of the wines grown there.
Under the management of María Marsans, José María Entrecanales’s widow, and the new winemaking leadership of Maite Sánchez – one of the most fashionable winemakers on the Spanish scene – the winery has set up other ventures unrelated to Finca La Verdosa.
Arrayán Selección 2019 (D.O. Méntrida) is perfect with fillet of beef with foie or beef cheeks in red wine.
Creators' opinion
Ruby-red with medium pigmentation. Aromas of ripe fruit and spices. Elegant bouquet with aromas from ageing. Fresh on the attack and easy to drink. Lingering finish.
The winery
Bodegas Arrayán, the most personal initiative of the late businessman José María Entrecanales - now managed with great vision by his widow, María Marsans - was born from the dream of producing wine in a beautiful dehesa near Madrid, featuring 800 hectares of Mediterranean forest. In this unparalleled setting, part of the winemaking area of the Denominación de Origen Méntrida, a historic production zone primarily focused on the garnacha variety, Entrecanales sought out the world's best viticultural advisors to develop a comprehensive and environmentally sustainable project.
For the planting of the varieties, all of which were foreign and not widely cultivated in the area, the renowned businessman hired Dr. Richard Smart, a famous viticultural guru based in Australia, who traveled to Finca La Verdosa to conduct a thorough soil study. He positioned each variety where it would best express itself and equipped the 26-hectare vineyard with features such as drip irrigation and radiofrequency stations to regulate the plants' needs. Not content with shaping one of the finest vineyard gardens in the entire Peninsula, Entrecanales enlisted the collaboration of winemaker Miguel Ángel de Gregorio for the production of the wines.
Under the management of María Marsans and the new viticultural leadership of Maite Sánchez - one of the most prominent winemakers on the national scene - the winery has developed parallel projects outside Finca La Verdosa, focusing on the recovery of old garnacha vineyards.