Hacienda López de Haro in the D.O.Ca. Rioja or Matsu in D.O. Toro are two of the wineries that make the Vintae company famous. In the heart of Rioja, in Sonsierra, it designs this red wine that Vinoselección markets exclusively in Spain. Excelion Reserva 2017 shows the historic Rioja finesse combined with the personality of excellent old vineyards in Sonsierra. A contemporary classic.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
Consumption time
General features
Type of wine
Region
Type of barrel
French and American oak barrels
Type of bottle
Bordeaux
Barrel aging time
20 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14
General Information
Excelion Reserva 2017 is made from Tempranillo (mainly) and Graciano grapes from a selection of vineyards with an average age of 30 years and low production. The vines are located in the Sonsierra, on poor soils on the terraces of the Ebro. Harvested by hand and vinified in 30,000 kg vats, this wine was aged for 20 months in French and American oak barrels.
Founded in 2001, Hacienda López de Haro is located in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, the most emblematic enclave of Rioja's quality vineyards, framed to the north by the Sierra Cantabria mountain range and to the south by the river Ebro. The area's microclimate and its clay-limestone soils provide the perfect conditions for vineyards, especially for Tempranillo, the appellation's star variety.
Hacienda López de Haro is one of the latest projects of the Vintae Group, and is characterised by combining traditional winemaking methods with avant-garde oenology. It has 95 hectares of its own vineyards and 450 other vineyards it runs, mostly old vines that produce grapes of excellent quality; and produce subtle and balanced wines.
Excelion Reserva 2017 (D.O.Ca. Rioja) will pair perfectly with dishes such as Tolosa beans stewed with cabbage or fried anchovies.
Creators' opinion
Appearance: Cherry red with russet tones on the rim and medium depth.
Nose: Balance between spices, vanilla and ripe fruit resulting in perfect harmony. In the background, notes of tobacco and cocoa stand out, as a result of its time in barrels.
Palate: Its essence is subtlety and elegance. With a light character, it is a very rounded and enveloping wine. Long-lasting on the palate, due to its good acidity, it leaves fresh and balsamic hints.
The winery
Located on a hill in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, in the heart of Rioja Alta, Bodega Hacienda López de Haro (formerly Bodega Classica) rises above a true sea of vineyards nourished by the Ebro River. The Riojan Sonsierra is an area situated on the southern side of the Sierra de Cantabria and Toloño, which protect it from the cold and humid winds of the Cantabrian Sea. Its weather conditions, with more rainfall in winter than during the rest of the year and winds channeled through the Ebro Valley, make it an optimal area for vine cultivation. Its rugged terrain, with clay-limestone soils that are highly drained, is perfect for the tempranillo variety.
At Bodega Hacienda López de Haro (D.O.Ca. Rioja), the goal is to respect traditional winemaking methods, so the fermentation tanks (ranging from 15,000 to 35,000 liters) have very wide openings to mimic the traditional winemaking in open vats. This allows for easier punch-downs to better work the cap. The winery has a stock of nearly 5,000 barrels, three-quarters of which are French oak and one-quarter American oak. French oak aligns with the style of wines produced at Bodega Hacienda López de Haro, as it better preserves the fruit and the distinctive character of the varieties most used in the López de Haro collection: tempranillo, garnacha, and graciano. The winery manages 95 hectares of its own vineyards and controls an additional 450 hectares.
The latest recognition for the wines from this winery comes from Master of Wine Elizabeth Gabay, the world's leading British expert on rosé wines, who selected Classica Gran Reserva 2012 as the Best Rosé in the World in her report The Rosé Report 2023.