Dark black-cherry colour. Intense nose with touches of candied orange peel, aromatic herbs and black fruits. Full-bodied with great balance and presence.  

Additional Notes: Selected grapes from 4 specific vineyards with very special terroir. One of them contains a percentage of white grape varietal Viura. They undergo conferment with Tempranillo in order to maintain good acity and freshness. 

Country: Spain

Grape(s): Tempranillo, Viura

Region: Rioja

Serving Temperature: 16ºC

Alcohol: 14%

Pairing: Roast meat, duck, ham, casserole, charcuterie, semi-mature cheeses.

Winery: Bodegas Santalba

About The Brand

Santiago Ijalba Garcia established Bodegas Santalba in 1998 in Gimileo, La Rioja. He obtained a degree in oenology in 1974 and was joined by his son, Roberto in 1997. Both father and son use spontaneous fermentation and indigenous yeasts from the vineyard.

Their label Ermita is helmed by Santiago, producing rose, white, Crianza and Reserva while Abando and Ogga are produced by Roberto. Further, the Ogga plantings are 90+ year old certified organic and are derived from one contiguous vineyeard which is not common in Rioja.