OT: Cuvée de Cair 2011

An exciting new (to me) wine at an affordable price.

• Winery: Bodegas Dominio de Cair, S. L. Crta. Aranda-La Aguilera km 9, 09370 La Aguilera, Aranda de Duero, Burgos. Dominio de Cair is a project set up by Luis Cañas in Ribera del Duero.
• Phone: + 34 947 54 52 76
• Winemaker: Daniel Martínez Benito
• Website: www.dominodecair.com
• Brand: Cuvee de Cair is also known as Lu & Be, after the wives of the two vineyard owners (Luci and Begoña).
• DO: Ribera del Duero
• Type: Red wine aged for 9 months in French (60%) and American (40%) oak barrels: 1st and 3rd year barrels. The wine is then subsequently bottled and rested for 6 months.
• Vintage: 2011 
• Alcohol: 14 %  
• Grape Variety: Tempranillo (85%) and Merlot (15%)
• Vineyards: Cultivated in the districts of La Aguilera, Quintana del Pidio, Gumiel de Mercado and Moradillo de Roa. Bodegas Dominio de Cair controls approximately 110 hectares of vines between estate-owned and outsourced vineyards. The grapes that produce Cair Cuvée originate from very low yielding vines, aged between 20-25 years old, and planted at an altitude between 800 and 950 metres above sea level.
• Soil Type: Chalky-clay, sandy and stony soils.
• Bottle Size: 75.0 cl.
• Price: € 7,50 at my local grocery shop. 
• My wine rating: 91/100 (A wine of outstanding or superior quality) NEW!

According to the winery their goal is to make a fresh wine, with lots of fruit, soft and tasty. The vines used to make this wine are an average of 25 years’ old, controlling the yield of the vines to a maximum of 4,500 Kg/Ha.). This means we achieve wines that meet our goal after just 9 months in the cask. The Tempranillo is complemented by a small percentage of the Merlot variety, produced in the town of Moradillo de Roa. This plot is located at an altitude of 950 m and its gradual ripening brings freshness, liveliness and complexity. The casks used are between 1 and 3 years’ old, except for the Merlot which is put into new barrels, and are made of French and American oak. (Source: Bodegas Dominio de Cair).

Tasting Notes: Black cherry color. An intense nose with complex and inviting aromas and shows ripe fruit, preserve and caramel notes. Dairy nuances over a slightly smoky background. Palate: Easy drinking style, silky smooth with sweet, polished tannins. Hints of very ripe red and black fruits, cocoa and vanilla.

Dominio de Cair is a new winery established in the Ribera del Duero region of Spain by the Riojan stalwart Juan Luis Cañas. Juan Luis spent several years visiting the region carefully inspecting vines to find those best suited for his needs. Eventually he found the type of vineyard with the type and quality of soil he considered suitable in the vicinity of La Aguilera. The vineyard had low yielding old vines, some centenarians, to allow him to select the best fruit for the wines. After consolidating its two wineries in Rioja (Bodegas Luis Cañas and Bodegas Amaren) he teamed up with Juan Jose Iribecampos to establish Dominio de Cair and building a brand new winery equipped with modern winemaking equipment. The winery controls approximately 110 hectares of vines between estate-owned and outsourced vineyards.