This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)
We know you love to get to know at Bodegas Arzuaga’s wines, so we’ve asked Nacho Arzuaga to join us for a very special tasting of our Arzuaga Crianza. ‘I think this is the winery’s most iconic wine, well-known by everyone,’ says Nacho Arzuaga, who is keen to share some insights about this red before getting into the tasting. ‘To make this 2021 vintage, we chose a blend of 92% Tempranillo, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, and 2% Malbec. And the Malbec is particularly interesting because it’s the first Arzuaga wine to be made with this variety. We aged this red for 16 months in both new and used French and American oak barrels.’
These fascinating details lead us to what Nacho Arzuaga defines as balance. ‘We’ll find the balance between fruit and oak, alcohol and acidity. It’s a modern wine, where the fruit is present, but also coupled with balsamic aromas. We’ll find hints of that After Eight minty chocolate, along with mineral notes and a touch of pencil lead, all perfectly integrated. It also reminds us of a Mon Cheri chocolate with cherry. We face a quite interesting wine, both aromatically and on the palate. Powerful, broad and flavourful one, with good body, fair acidity and crispness.’
To achieve this balance, this vintage had some very special moments. ‘For me, it’s an exceptional vintage, with great freshness. The grapes ripened very slowly due to a heavy rainy winter and a long vegetation period, resulting in really fine wines. This translated into a pretty fresh wine,’ explains Nacho Arzuaga.
Now, the CEO of Bodegas Arzuaga takes us through a wonderful food pairing with our Arzuaga Crianza. ‘It is a wine that goes well with many dishes, including our regional star dish: suckling lamb roasted or its chops cooked in vine shoots. I do also love it with rich and fatty fish like salmon or tuna. It’s a wine that invites you to keep drinking, so I’d even pair it with desserts as a perfect match to dark chocolate,’ explains Nacho Arzuaga wrapping up this very special tasting of our Arzuaga Crianza.