FINCAS DE AZABACHE SPARKLING WINE ELABORATION PROCESS
Today we would like to share with you the second part of the traditional elaboration method of our Sparkling White Wine DOCa Rioja Fincas de Azabache: Riddling Stage.
The bottles closed with crown cap, go into the ageing phase in the dark and calm part of the winery, in our case they rest in our underground caves, dated from the 50s, of our former winery Viñedos de Aldeanueva.
For our Espumoso de Rioja, the process of ageing on its lees takes over 18 months and this adds fineness and complexity. The stage of ageing, is when the wine remains in a horizontal position in contact with the yeasts. This is a vital period because as the time goes on, the yeasts that form the lees, give to the wine characteristic notes and unctuosity.
With the time the yeasts start to die and drop at the bottom of the bottle. Bottles pass through a manual riddling process where the bottles are turned and repositioned for the dead yeasts to descend to the neck of the bottle, this is why they are kept in an upside down position in (pupitres de madera) wooden racks until they are ready for Disgorging, that can take as long as the wine needs or the oenologist estimates.
Our 2018 and 2019 vintages are already awaiting their turn for the Disgorging phase.