Country: | Spain |
Region: | Rioja |
Winery: | Luis Canas |
Grape Type: | Tempranillo |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Luis Canas Rioja Crianza is made from 95% Tempranillo and 5% Garnacha
A classic style Rioja from one of the regions most enduring family run wineries.. The hillside terraced vineyards are sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains to the north from harsh weather extremes. Small plot production is utilized in this region of infertile chalky clay soil to produce clusters of excellent quality. Almost 900 plots are needed to complete the approximately 400 hectares of estate-owned or cellar-controlled vineyards, some with vines more than 100 years in age.
Tasting notes
Made from 95% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha of 30 years of age, the wine shows a ruby red color, a clean nose with nuances of balsamic, plum and cedar. The palate is smooth and velvety, complex and structured, with fruit, spice flavors with toasted oak. A pleasant finish with red fruits and hints of eucalyptus.
The harvest
This year in Rioja Alavesa the weather has been especially cold, the summer short and dry, and there has been plenty of rain in early September. This has produced wines with great aromatic notes, particularly those coming from high altitude areas, very fragrant and with great structure.
Winemaking and aging
Upon entering the bodega and passing the selection table, the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed before undergoing fermentation and then maceration in stainless steel tanks for a total of 8 days, obtaining better color extraction as well as much more complex wines, suitable for prolonged aging. The wine is clarified with vegetable gelatines and follows anicrobic filtration.
It is ideal to pair with meats; red meat, poultry, small game, oily fish, semi-cured cheeses, spicy dishes and hot dishes such as beans or potatoes Rioja style.
After its primary fermentation, the wine is placed in barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for a minimum of 12 months. It is then bottled for at least another 12 months.
Luis Canas Rioja Blanco is made from 90% Viura and 10% Malvasia (60+ years old vines)
Barrel fermented for 3.5 months in new French oak barrels.
Alcohol: 13,5º
Total acidity: 6,5 g./l.
Volatile acidity: 0,25 g./l.
PH: 3,40
Free SO2: 25 mg./l.
Grapes harvested in small boxes to be selected manually on the table, bunch by bunch.
Beautiful golden yellow, with bright lemony highly-luminous reflections. The nose is fine, with great elegance, combined with floral and fruity tones.
The palate is dry with a crisp acidity that gives its freshness and vivacity, a structured and tasty finish of ripe fruit.
We recommend that you taste it at 8°C.
It is appropriate to accompany shellfish, crustaceans and grilled white fish or fish stews. It also blends elegantly with rice, soft cheeses, blue cheeses, all kinds of mushrooms and fresh fruit.
Luis Canas Rioja Blanco is made from 90% Viura and 10% Malvasia (60+ years old vines)
Barrel fermented for 3.5 months in new French oak barrels.
Alcohol: 13,5º
Total acidity: 6,5 g./l.
Volatile acidity: 0,25 g./l.
PH: 3,40
Free SO2: 25 mg./l.
Grapes harvested in small boxes to be selected manually on the table, bunch by bunch.
Beautiful golden yellow, with bright lemony highly-luminous reflections. The nose is fine, with great elegance, combined with floral and fruity tones.
The palate is dry with a crisp acidity that gives its freshness and vivacity, a structured and tasty finish of ripe fruit.
We recommend that you taste it at 8°C.
It is appropriate to accompany shellfish, crustaceans and grilled white fish or fish stews. It also blends elegantly with rice, soft cheeses, blue cheeses, all kinds of mushrooms and fresh fruit.
Review:
"Clean citrus, reductive matchstick, crushed stone, and white flower notes all emerge from the 2022 Rioja Blanco Vinas Viejas, an incredibly well-made, balanced white that has a layered mouthfeel, building richness, and a clean, crisp, mineral-laced, almost salty finish. It will be a dream with tapas or as a starter. The blend is 85% Viura, 10% Malvasia, and the rest Tempranillo Blanco."
- Jeb Dunnuck (Importer Highlight: Fran Kysela ; July 2024), 94 pts
Luis Canas Rioja Hiru 3 Racimos is 100% Tempranillo
60 years old vines
Alcohol: 14,5º
Total acidity: 6,0 gr/l
Volatile acidity: 0,50 gr/l
PH: 3,47
Free SO2: 25 mg/l
Reducing sugars: 1,8 gr/l
This wine is a response to our quest to find the perfect wine, one that combines structure, complexity and balance. It is the result of a careful selection of grapes not from the vines but from the appropriate clusters, those that naturally produce three or less clusters and which are 60 or more years of age. Vines situated on slopes and terraces of limestone and clay soil, well exposed to the sun. These grapes are harvested in small boxes at the very best moment, then inspected on the selection table and vinified in small groups at a controlled temperature. After alcoholic fermentation they are macerated to extract their full potential. The resulting most is then settled in new French and American oak barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation. This second fermentation ensures the wine gains in complexity and aromatic intensity, it also stabilises its colour.
Fully ripened and concentrated fruit aromas with balsamic and spicy mineral nuances, notes of blackberry and blueberry preserve wrapped in creamy oak, caramel and milky coffee tones. The palate is concentrated, unctuous in the centre, balanced, sweet, with fine tannins. Very long finish, expressive, clearly marked with the character of the soil.
Hiru 3 racimos is a complex wine and so is its pairing with food. We must consider two options, either drink it in light sips so that the wine itself is the star of the feast, or serve with solid dishes that can match its vigour. An Iberian pork loin with roasted peppers, steak with mushrooms and plums, wild boar stew or pheasant in port are dishes that blend incredibly with this characterful wine.
Luis Canas Rioja Reserva is made from 100 percent 95% Tempranillo and 5% Graciano
A classic style Rioja Reserva from one of the regions most enduring family run wineries. The hillside terraced vineyards are sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains to the north from harsh weather extremes. Small plot production is utilized in this region of infertile chalky clay soil to produce clusters of excellent quality. Almost 900 plots are needed to complete the approximately 400 hectares of estate-owned or cellar-controlled vineyards, some with vines more than 100 years in age.
Tasting notes
Rich color. Very pleasant on the nose, subtle and elegant, complex, with aromas of fine wood, ripe fruit, coffee. Thick, unctuous and round on the palate with solid structure and juicy tannins. The second nose shows spiced nuances and black ripe fruit aromas.
Winemaking and aging
Upon entering the bodega, bunches undergo a manual selection and then individual grapes are sorted based on their weight. Following this double selection process, they are de-stemmed and crushed before undergoing fermentation and then aceration in stainless steel tanks for a total of 8 days, obtaining better color extraction as well as much more complex and tannic wines, suitable for prolonged aging.
After its primary fermentation, the wine is placed in barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for 18 months in French (70%) and American (30%) oak barrels, then aged minimum 18 months in bottle before release.
Total acidity: 5 g./l. Volatile acidity: 0,6 g./l. PH: 3,59 Free SO2: 25 mg./l. Residual sugar: 1,9 g./l.
Excellent with red or white meats, all types of game, roasts, oily fish, rice with meat and cheese. Within Rioja cuisine it is perfection accompanying peppers stuffed with cod, artichokes with ham, migas pastoriles and trotters
Luis Canas Reserva Seleccion de la Familia Rioja is made from 85% Tempranillo and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aged for 20 months in new oak barrels - 50% French 50% American.
45 years old vines
Alcohol: 14,5º
Total acidity: 5,73 g./l.
Volatile acidity: 0,73 g./l.
PH: 3,53
Free SO2: 28 mg./l.
Reducing sugars: 1,3 g./l.
The “family reserve” from one of Rioja Alavesa’s most enduring family-run wineries. Wines destined to be the Reserva de la Familia label are made from a selection of grapes from old vines, those which combine a series of characteristics such as good orientation and exposure to the sun, and a poor soil which ensures low yields.
This wine is one of very few Rioja wines to blend Cabernet Sauvignon with Tempranillo. Bodegas Luis Cañas was granted permission by the D.O.Ca. to plant this variety as an experiment in the early 1980s.
Tasting notes
A brilliant garnet color with cherry hints on the edges.
The nose offers a complex variety of aromas that combine to bring an intense and sophisticated wine. Initially we can find very ripe berry fruits, smoky notes, raisins and liquor. After a certain amount of aeration, the cinnamon and jam notes appear and, with a little more time, the roasted and spiced aromas are noticed more clearly.
The palate is full, with a good presence of tannins, although these are offset by the glycerine like character, resulting in a fleshy sensation. Long lasting and lingering finish.
Winemaking and aging:
The grapes were cold macerated for 72 hours upon arrival at the winery. They underwent fermentation at 26º C in sealed cement tanks under constant thermal control, with the must pumped over daily. With the paste devatted by gravity, spontaneous malolactic fermentation took place after 45 days.
The wine was aged for 20 months in 50% medium toasted American and 50% French oak barrels. The barrel ageing not only adds tannins from the wood, but stabilizes the wine naturally. After the final racking, it was clarified in tanks with a small amount of natural egg white, decanted after 30 days and bottled directly without any type of filtration. Because this wine’s evolutionary cycle is quite slow, only corks of the highest quality available were used to ensure that it could be prolonged for several years.
Review:
Including 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, the Tempranillo-dominated 2019 Rioja Reserva Selección de la Familia is a crème de la crème selection that was aged 20 months in oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by a sensational nose of ripe black and blue fruits, cedarwood, graphite, smoked tobacco, and chocolate. This carries to a full-bodied Rioja with a powerful, layered mouthfeel, ripe yet building tannins, and serious length on the finish.
-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Luis Canas Rioja Crianza is made from 95% Tempranillo and 5% Garnacha
A classic style Rioja from one of the regions most enduring family run wineries.. The hillside terraced vineyards are sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains to the north from harsh weather extremes. Small plot production is utilized in this region of infertile chalky clay soil to produce clusters of excellent quality. Almost 900 plots are needed to complete the approximately 400 hectares of estate-owned or cellar-controlled vineyards, some with vines more than 100 years in age.
Tasting notes
Made from 95% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha of 30 years of age, the wine shows a ruby red color, a clean nose with nuances of balsamic, plum and cedar. The palate is smooth and velvety, complex and structured, with fruit, spice flavors with toasted oak. A pleasant finish with red fruits and hints of eucalyptus.
The harvest
This year in Rioja Alavesa the weather has been especially cold, the summer short and dry, and there has been plenty of rain in early September. This has produced wines with great aromatic notes, particularly those coming from high altitude areas, very fragrant and with great structure.
Winemaking and aging
Upon entering the bodega and passing the selection table, the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed before undergoing fermentation and then maceration in stainless steel tanks for a total of 8 days, obtaining better color extraction as well as much more complex wines, suitable for prolonged aging. The wine is clarified with vegetable gelatines and follows anicrobic filtration.
It is ideal to pair with meats; red meat, poultry, small game, oily fish, semi-cured cheeses, spicy dishes and hot dishes such as beans or potatoes Rioja style.
After its primary fermentation, the wine is placed in barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for a minimum of 12 months. It is then bottled for at least another 12 months.
Review:
"The young and creamy 2015 Crianza is mostly Tempranillo with 5% Garnacha, matured in French and American oak barrels for 12 to 14 months. It's ripe with moderate acidity and lactic aromas intermixed with cherries and vanilla. The palate is soft with juicy fruit and lush tannins. A crowd-pleaser and a great vintage. Great value too. They produce one million bottles of this. - Luis Gutiérrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #235, February 2018), 91+ pts
"Juan Luis Cañas sources the Tempranillo and 5% Garnacha grapes that go into this eminently reliable Crianza from a range of villages on the north bank of the River Ebro. Balanced, modern and appealing, with a well-judged combination of French and American oak and bright red berry fruit. 2020-25"
- TIM ATKIN RIOJA 2019 SPECIAL REPORT, February 2019, 91 pts
"(raised for 20 months in a 50/50 mix of new French and American oak barrels) Deep, lurid ruby. Displays expansive, oak-spiced red/blue fruits, spicecake, vanilla and a sexy floral quality on the deeply perfumed nose. In a fruit-forward, seductive style, showing no rough edges and very good clarity to its sweet boysenberry and cherry flavors. The floral note comes back strong on a long, supple finish that betrays just a hint of fine-grained tannins. - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (February 2019), 91 pts
"This estate turned out a brilliant 2015 Rioja Crianza, which is 95% Tempranillo and 5% Grenache that spent a year in a mix of French and American oak followed by a year in bottle. Medium to full-bodied, pure, and incredibly elegant, it has a terrific perfume of ripe cherries, cedarwood, and spice. It’s a complete, balanced, seamless 2015 that does everything right. It’s great today yet should cruise for a decade in good cellars."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2019), 92 pts
The Luis Canas & Amaren Estate
Bodega Luis Cañas is a family winery which for more than two centuries has devoted itself to viticulture and winemaking. However, it was not until 1970 when Luis Cañas first hit the market selling its young bottled wine which until then it had sold only in bulk. From this date onwards, it begins to experience a rise in sales and what is today one of the leading wineries in the Rioja Alavesa begins to take shape.
1989 marks a new milestone in the winery’s transformation when Juan Luis Cañas, the only son of Mr Luis Cañas takes charge of the same. Aged 33 , he brings fresh ideas to the table and begins to develop new wines at the same time as he promotes increasingly aged wines, beginning to lay the foundations of what would later become the new winery.
The Region
-The Climate: Fundamentally Atlantic, which thanks to the protection that the Sierra Cantabria provides from the coldest northern winds as well as Continental and Mediterranean influence.
The average annual temperature oscillates between 12.6º and the 13.2º. There are large fluctuations in the temperature between the morning and the night at harvest time, which is very positive for the quality of the grapes.
Average rainfall is around 400 mm. and 600 mm
- The Soil: The soil is poor and of a clay loam or chalky clay type, ideal for obtaining grapes of an extraordinary quality.
- Altitude: Our vineyards are located between 450 and 600 meters in altitude.
- Grape Varietals:
TEMPRANILLO: The most important indigenous red variety in the D.O. RIOJA. And one of the biggest varieties in the world. It produces wines for length ageing, very balanced in their alcoholic degrees, color and acidity.
GRACIANO: An indigenous red variety with a great future in Rioja and so its surface area is increasing. It produces wines with considerable acidity and polyphonelic content, ideal for growing, whose aroma is superior in intensity to the rest of the Rioja verities. A perfect complement to the Tempranillo for ageing.
VIURA: The most extensive white variety in Rioja. It produces fruity wines, with a floral aroma and a notable degree of acidity, ideal for preparing both young white and vintage wines.
MALVASÍA: A White variety that produces wines of great oiliness and aromatic intensity.
The Luis Canas & Amaren Estate
Bodega Luis Cañas is a family winery which for more than two centuries has devoted itself to viticulture and winemaking. However, it was not until 1970 when Luis Cañas first hit the market selling its young bottled wine which until then it had sold only in bulk. From this date onwards, it begins to experience a rise in sales and what is today one of the leading wineries in the Rioja Alavesa begins to take shape.
1989 marks a new milestone in the winery’s transformation when Juan Luis Cañas, the only son of Mr Luis Cañas takes charge of the same. Aged 33 , he brings fresh ideas to the table and begins to develop new wines at the same time as he promotes increasingly aged wines, beginning to lay the foundations of what would later become the new winery.
The Region
-The Climate: Fundamentally Atlantic, which thanks to the protection that the Sierra Cantabria provides from the coldest northern winds as well as Continental and Mediterranean influence.
The average annual temperature oscillates between 12.6º and the 13.2º. There are large fluctuations in the temperature between the morning and the night at harvest time, which is very positive for the quality of the grapes.
Average rainfall is around 400 mm. and 600 mm
- The Soil: The soil is poor and of a clay loam or chalky clay type, ideal for obtaining grapes of an extraordinary quality.
- Altitude: Our vineyards are located between 450 and 600 meters in altitude.
- Grape Varietals:
TEMPRANILLO: The most important indigenous red variety in the D.O. RIOJA. And one of the biggest varieties in the world. It produces wines for length ageing, very balanced in their alcoholic degrees, color and acidity.
GRACIANO: An indigenous red variety with a great future in Rioja and so its surface area is increasing. It produces wines with considerable acidity and polyphonelic content, ideal for growing, whose aroma is superior in intensity to the rest of the Rioja verities. A perfect complement to the Tempranillo for ageing.
VIURA: The most extensive white variety in Rioja. It produces fruity wines, with a floral aroma and a notable degree of acidity, ideal for preparing both young white and vintage wines.
MALVASÍA: A White variety that produces wines of great oiliness and aromatic intensity.
The Luis Canas & Amaren Vineyards
The vineyard is the star of a landscape where the plots of land, mainly located on slopes and terraces, being protected to the north by the imposing presence of the Sierra Cantabria.
Villabuena is a town located to the south of the province of Álava, where the city of the vineyard and the preparation of wines is practically the sole activity that is carried on.
It is in this region of Rioja Alavesa where the most suitable conditions arise for obtaining large vineyards of a superior quality.
22 hectares of vines of over 60 years of age and 30 hectares of between 30 and 60 years make up a vineyard which is the strongest indication of the wine cellar.
The old vineyards achieve a perfect balance given their low production level, having very deep roots that offer the wines complexity, minerality and personality as well as making them more resistant to drought.
Vines that are checked and run by the agronomic engineers from our field department in which rational wine-growing that is respectful of the environment.
All of the forms of treatment that are carried on at the vineyard are restricted to minimally aggressive products and methods which include amongst others, the prohibition against the use of herbicides and the use of fertilizers that are always organic.
The purpose is to make use of a vineyard with a powerful defensive system that is capable of being defended from external threats with no need for artificial assistance. In this way we achieve complete respect for the land. The native soil is a fundamental part of the distinguishing personality of each region. We also manage to make the vines healthier.
22 hectares of vines of over 60 years of age and 30 hectares of between 30 and 60 years make up a vineyard which is the strongest indication of the wine cellar.
The old vineyards achieve a perfect balance given their low production level, having very deep roots that offer the wines complexity, minerality and personality as well as making them more resistant to drought.
Vines that are checked and run by the agronomic engineers from our field department in which rational wine-growing that is respectful of the environment.
All of the forms of treatment that are carried on at the vineyard are restricted to minimally aggressive products and methods which include amongst others, the prohibition against the use of herbicides and the use of fertilizers that are always organic.
The purpose is to make use of a vineyard with a powerful defensive system that is capable of being defended from external threats with no need for artificial assistance. In this way we achieve complete respect for the land. The native soil is a fundamental part of the distinguishing personality of each region. We also manage to make the vines healthier.
Riebeek Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon,15 % Shiraz.
An exciting new world style wine with upfront blackcurrant flavors. The black fruit is well-balanced with subtle French oak for a complex nose and an elegant and lingering follow-through. An exceptional example of a lighter style Cabernet Sauvignon that can be enjoyed young. Excellent with red meat dishes or veal.
“1752” is the name of the Damilano Barolo Cannubi Riserva, in honor of the year in which the historic bottle was first marked “Cannubi”. It still exists today perfectly conserved by the Manzone family in Bra, close to Barolo. The bottle is clearly marked as being of “1752” vintage, indicating that Cannubi historically precedes Barolo.
About the Vineyard:
The Cannubi Cru is in found within one of the 6 core zones which comprise a UNESCO heritage site in Italy. A mixture of Tortonian and Helvetian calcareous marl gives the grapes intense aromas of cherry, plum and tobacco, rose and violet in sequence. Its low potassium and high calcium/magnesium content offer the wine a fine and polished touch. The vineyard is located at about 270 m. a.s.l. and has a south-east sun exposure. Barolo Riserva Cannubi 1752 It is a small plot of about 2 hectares of Nebbiolo vines, currently between 30 and 50 years of age.
Tasting Notes:
Garnet ruby red in color, the bouquet is intense and balanced, with notes of violet, red fruit, cherry and plum, spices, liquorice, cocoa, leather and tobacco. Dry, robust, full-bodied, very persistent, rich and velvety
Food Pairing:
This wine is excellent with typical piedmontes pasta (tajarin, ravioli); perfect with red meat, braised and roast meat, game and absolutely ideal with all types of cheeses.
Review:
The purity of this wine is pretty phenomenal with blackberries, strawberries, fresh flowers and licorice. Hints of tar. It’s full-bodied, yet composed and compact with ultra fine tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Very structured. Try after 2024.
-James Suckling 97 Points
Bootleg Red Wine Napa County is made from 53% Petite Sirah, 41% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.4% Cabernet Franc, 0.6% Petit Verdot.
The 2019 Bootleg blends Petite Sirah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon blend from several appellations within Napa. The result is a dark red crimson color with aromas of raspberry, black cherry, barrel spice and tobacco and mocha. On the palate the wine is fruit forward with round structured tannins leading to a long finish.
Review:
Moving to a darker expression, the 2019 Bootleg Red Blend pours an inky black hue and offers up aromas of pencil shaving, boysenberry preserve, and sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with full, ripe tannins, it reveals notes of preserved black plum, crushed purple flowers, and turned soil.
-Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points