Vineyards and winemaking
Eralena is made from Garnacha grown in a remarkable century-old vineyard in Rioja Oriental. These surviving vines, rooted in clay-limestone soils and shaped by the region's warm days and cooling air, produce very small quantities of intensely concentrated fruit.
The 2015 grapes were harvested by hand and fermented spontaneously with native yeasts in a wooden vat. The wine then spent 30 months in barrique followed by three years of bottle maturation before release. Only one barrel—288 bottles—was produced.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Deep garnet with a mature ruby-brick rim.
Nose
Plum preserve, blackberry and dried fig unfold into clove, caramel, toasted hazelnut, liquorice and a discreet leathery note.
Palate
Rich yet composed, with dark fruit, rum-soaked raisin and sweet spice balanced by vivid acidity and beautifully integrated tannins. Savoury nut and liquorice notes gather on a long, warming finish. This is a mature, high-alcohol wine: stand the bottle upright, open carefully and taste before deciding whether to decant; bottle variation is natural.
Food pairing
Best with deeply flavoured dishes such as slow-cooked lamb shoulder with prunes, braised venison, ox cheek glazed with red wine, or roast squash with chestnuts and sage. Serve modest pours alongside mature Manchego for a quieter conclusion to a meal.
Background story
Eralena represents an exceptionally rare expression of old-vine Garnacha from Real Agrado. The 2015 release came from a single barrel, and just 12 bottles were allocated to Sommelier's Choice for the UK—an important part of this wine's story and its place in our range.
Real Agrado farms almost 100 hectares of its own vineyards between Alfaro and Aldeanueva de Ebro. Established as a wine-growing project in 1974 and equipped with its own winery in 2005, the estate uses its Colección Raíces to preserve the identity of singular parcels in very small releases.
