Ars Nova 2015 is a fresh highland wine that fully expresses the terroir it comes from: the Yerri valley, the northwesternmost area of the D.O. Navarra, where the grapes ripen slowly. It’s made from Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and has been aged in concrete vats and French oak barrels. With aromas of ripe red and black fruit and balsamic hints, it’s pleasant, long and mouth-coating.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
Consumption time
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 40% Tempranillo
Type of barrel
300-litre French oak barrels
Type of bottle
Burgundy
Barrel aging time
9 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Total acidity (g/l)
5.5
Sugar
<2
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14.5
General Information
Ars Nova 2015 is a blend of Tempranillo (40%), Cabernet Sauvignon (40%) and Merlot (20%). It comes from a 35-hectare estate located in the Yerri valley at an altitude of 600 metres, with clay-loam soils. This is the northwesternmost part of the D.O. Navarra, where the grapes ripen slowly owing to the cold climate and the difference between day and night-time temperatures and have a magnificent acidity.
The grapes were fermented at 30º C and the juice was extracted slowly using the pigeage technique. The winemaking process involved gravity-fed racking to concrete and malolactic fermentation and natural clarification by means of decantation. The wine was not cold-stabilised or clarified. Ageing included at least 24 months in concrete vats followed by 9 months in 300-litre French oak barrels.
Tandem (2003) is a boutique winery based in Lácar in the Yerri valley – the northwest part of the D.O. Navarra – beside the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela. The areas’s cold climate and marked temperature contrasts are conducive to fresh wines. Abundant rain and snow furthermore enable the whole vineyard to be dry farmed, without irrigation. Strong afternoon winds dry the damp and produce very healthy grapes with natural acidity.
Tandem’s wines are modern in style, though they’re made using old-fashioned methods based on gravity, no pumping, minimal intervention and underground concrete vats for natural clarification through decantation. The winery chooses 300-litre French and Central European oak barrels for ageing to ensure balance and a predominance of fruit. The resulting wines are fresh and elegant. The first wine the firm produced was the 2003 vintage of Ars Nova.
Ars Nova 2015 (D.O. Navarra) is a red that goes very well with chicken- and seafood-based rice dishes.
Creators' opinion
Deep ruby-red with violet in the edge. Complex and French nose of ripe red fruit and balsamic notes. With plenty of layers and elegance. Blackberry, blueberry, liquorice, woodland, thyme and mint. Pleasant, long, mouth-coating and surprising.