ZaZa

Country:
Spain
Region:
Campo de Borja
Year founded:
1956
Owner:
Santo Cristo Winery
Winemaker:
Norrel Robertson
Importer:
Well Oiled Wine Co.

Basic Info

Santo Cristo is the third largest winery in the DO of Campo de Borja. It is located in the village of Ainzón at the foot of Moncayo, the highest mountain in Aragon, which dominates the landscape and climate. The soils in the vineyards around the village of Ainzón are chalky with clay under soft, fertile topsoil. The "cierzo," a dry northwest wind, is a characteristic of the extreme Continental climate which delivers wines with excellent color and aroma. The grapes were hand harvested from selected 45 year old bush vines from mid September to early October. The fruit was then crushed and destemmed. Must remained in contact with the skins for 24 to 48 hours and the free-run juice was bled to controlled temperature stainless steel fermenters. The fermenting juice was transferred to French and American oak barrels to complete fermentation. After fermentation, the wine was transferred sur lie back to tank to be lees stirred for another 4 to 6 weeks to integrate flavors and build up mouthfeel, length and complexity. “This has been made as a fruit driven rosé with great complexity that will stand up to a variety of foods. Fermentation of rosé with wood, followed by sur lies aging, helps a number of technical and style issues. Fermentation in oak helps fix the color early in the winemaking process, leading to greater stability in the bottle. Similarly, many of the delicate flavor compounds are converted to more stable forms which hold together better in bottle.” - Norrel Robertson, Master of Wine