OT: Viña Herminia Excelsus 2011

I was unable to resist mentioning some of the wines I’m testing during this holidays. But don’t forget to drink in moderation, it’s your responsibility.

• Winery: Bodegas Viña Herminia S.L. Camino de los Agudos, 1 – 26559, Aldeanueva de Ebro – La Rioja (ESPAÑA). The winery is located in Aldeanueva de Ebro, just below Calahorra, at the south-eastern end of the Rioja Baja. Vineyards surround the winery, and extend up the slopes of nearby Monte Yerga to altitudes of 700m. This is unusually high for the Rioja Baja.
• Phone: +34 941 142 305
• Winemaker: David Bastida Caro
• Website: www.viñaherminia.es//index.php/en
• Brand: Viña Herminia Excelsus 2011
• DO: Denominacion de Origen Cualificada Rioja Subzone: Rioja Baja.
• Type: 14% Young red wine aged for 8 months in new 225 litre French oak casks. Matured a minimum of 6 months in bottle. As a new wave Rioja this wine is classified as “Vino de Autor”.
• Grapes Variety: 50% Tempranillo 50% Garnacha
• Vineyards: Viña Herminia has its own 4 hectare vineyard in front of the winery, but otherwise sources its grapes from the Viñedos de Aldeanueva cooperative, which happens to be the biggest vineyard owner in the whole of Rioja. The winemaking team select only the best lots to ensure the superior quality of Viña Herminia wines.
• Soil: Calcareous chalk on the hillside slopes
• Bottle Size: 75.0 cl.
• Price: It was a gift but my understanding is that it can be available below 10,00 € 
• My wine rating: 9.3/10

Located in the Rioja Baja, at the southeastern end of the Rioja, Viña Herminia belongs to the Luis Caballero group of companies, also owners of Emilio Lustau S.A. in Jerez. Viña Herminia offers a full range of Rioja wines, from vineyards on the slopes of Monte Yerga and Monte Argudo, up to an altitude of 700m, complemented with grapes from the best communes of the Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. Expert vinification and blending ensures rich, generous, fruity wines, with great natural freshness and appeal. Best of all, the Viña Herminia range is very reasonably priced. Over the last couple of years, a number of top UK and US commentators, including both Jancis Robinson and Robert Parker, have highlighted Viña Herminia as one of the premier addresses in Rioja for high quality and real value. The Australian winemaker David Morrison begun his collaboration with this winery in 2001.

A complete report about Rioja wines, The Wines of Rioja—A New Look, is available in this pdf here.