Guelbenzu Evo 2018
92
Tim Atkin
Cabernet sauvignon and merlot in a golden ‘coupage’
Gold Medal
Concurso Internacional Mundus Vini
On the banks of the Queiles river, on the border between Navarra and Aragón, a few years ago the historic Guelbenzu winery managed to create a protected geographical indication – V.T. Ribera del Queiles - which endorses the production of its wines. Oenological gems with a unique character and capacity for evolution, created from the vineyards of the Finca La Lombana, in Vierlas (Zaragoza), at the foot of the Moncayo mountain. Guelbenzu Evo 2018 is the result of combining two international varieties which create magnificent results on this estate, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. It is a long, elegant, round red wine full of nuances and complexity, winner of the Mundus Vini 2023 Gold Medal. Highly recommended.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
Type of barrel
French oak barrels
Barrel aging time
12 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14
General Information
Guelbenzu Evo 2018 is a ‘coupage’ of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. It comes from the winery’s own vineyards, 46 hectares located in Finca La Lombana (Vierlas), terrain of fluvial origin, made up mainly of gravels and sands.
The vines have an average age of 20 years and grow at an altitude of 500m. The alcoholic fermentation occurred in stainless steel tanks with a controlled temperature of 28º C, and the malolactic fermentation in oak barrels. It was aged for 12 months in French barrels.
Although the history of Bodegas Guelbenzu dates back to 1851, it was at a standstill for decades until 1991, when thanks to the work of Julio Guelbenzu and his children, it returned to the forefront with the market launch of its first harvest in many years. In 2001, the Guelbenzu family took the leap from Navarra to the neighbouring Ribera del Queiles, where new installations were built in Vierlas (Zaragoza), at the foot of the Moncayo mountain, on rocky, low fertility soils. Here, in Finca La Lombana, they planted 46 hectares of vineyards. At the behest of this winery, in 2003 MAPA created the Vino de la Tierra de la Ribera del Queiles designation.
The Guelbenzu Evo 2018 (V.T. Ribera del Queiles) red wine is paired perfectly with red meat, legumes, roast lamb and duck.
Creators' opinion
Colour: Intense cherry red.
Aroma: Intense aromas of ripe black fruit, well integrated with toasted and spiced aromas and a balsamic finish.
Palate: Powerful and structured. Ripe black fruit, spiced and balsamic, combined with round tannins. Full of nuances and complexity. Long, persistent, elegant and round.
The winery
The Guelbenzu family began their winemaking journey in 1843, and even in its early days, the winery received the highest accolades, such as various medals at universal exhibitions at the end of the 19th century.
For decades, Guelbenzu's history was at a standstill, until in 1980, Julio Guelbenzu and his children resumed production. Thus, in 1991, the first harvest of the second era of Guelbenzu was launched.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the winery expanded from Navarra to the neighboring Ribera del Queiles, a region nestled between Aragón, Navarra, and La Rioja. There, it boasts state-of-the-art facilities built in 2001 in Vierlas (Zaragoza) and its own vineyards. It was, in fact, at Guelbenzu's initiative that the Vino de la Tierra de la Ribera del Queiles designation was established in 2003.
Currently, the winery is part of the prestigious Bornos Bodegas y Viñedos group, which upholds the philosophy established by the family in its most recent era, focusing on carefully tended vineyards and rigorous winemaking.