Alcohol: 14,5%
Grape(s): Tempranillo
Localization: Ribera del Duero, Spain
Tasting Notes: Offers a vibrant, primary palate of dark berry, subtle toast, and juicy tannins. Ripe and well-structured, Epifanio delivers a mouthfeel that is concentrated but quite refined for a young Tempranillo.
Notes: Clusters are handpicked and carefully sorted for quality before a natural fermentation is carried out in temperature-controlled tanks. Malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously in barrels (25/75 French and American oak). Aged for 6 months before bottling. Less than 2,500 cases are produced annually.
The Domain: Bodegas Epifanio Rivera, established by the Rivera-Aparicio family, is connected to the most deep-rooted wine-growing tradition in Pesquera de Duero. We have always been closely tied to the vine.
Proof of that is our more than 80-year old vineyards, our ancient underground cellar dating from the 16th Century, and the winepress known as “La cocedera”, which has been in use in the same way as it was in the 19th Century, producing family wine until this day.
The Rivera-Aparicio family owns some of the most precious and ancient vines which have been preserved for almost 100 years. These oenological treasures possess their own “prefiloxeric” clone, which has been reproduced in the younger vines. This makes the wines of their family to be unique and expresses the characteristic features of the clone.
All their vines are located in the most renowned and privileged states in Pesquera de Duero, such as, El Olivo, La Rendeja, Valderamiro, and including Erialón, which gives the name to their wine. The high-quality expression of this terroir provides the wine with complexity and its own distinctive features. Their vines are spread over 20 hectares, some of the vineyards being over 80 years old and cultivated in the traditional way, perfectly integrated into its natural environment.
Bodegas Epifanio Rivera integrates the traditional methods together with the latest technological advances. The modern winery is located in Pesquera de Duero, with a capacity of 100,000 bottles every year. The picking of the grapes is done by hand and the grapes are collected in boxes of 20 kilograms to ensure a careful selection.
Fermentation and soaking are produced by following strict control of the temperature in the fermentation tanks. These tanks are shallow and very wide in order to extract the best tannin. The chambers where barrels and bottles are placed for aging are thermally controlled, so as to accurately reproduce the conditions in the old underground wine cellars. The whole process is meant to achieve the highest expression in our wines.
Thus, every wine, every year is made in slightly different ways to better suit the specific characteristics of the harvested grapes. The aging of the wine in the barrels is analyzed through taste testing and adapted to each vintage.
