Blog – Primera Entrega

I start this blog with the illusion of who, finally, starts a journey long awaited for, which has been the dream of a whole lifetime: having my own wine, a signature wine. 

I inherited my passion for wine from my father, Aníbal, for whom taking care of his vineyards and his village, Otero, meant all in life. To them he devoted the best of himself: his effort, his time and his knowledge, which was not meager. He was deeply committed to his vineyards. He cherished the cultivation, always obsessed with keeping the vineyard clean and fighting the weeds. He spent hours scrutinizing the sky, with the motor ready to prevent the fearsome Mildew and other calamities. He awaited the harvest with excitement, to bear the fruits of his hard labor and make his wine, that claret that so many people tasted in his cellar in the small alley. 

Today, I would like to present to you my wine. Or better, our wine, because this is a family wine, resulting from the effort and dedication of a wonderful team of people. Among them, our oenologist José Hidalgo (Pepe, as his friends call him) deserves a special mention. I will be forever grateful to him for helping me make this possible, sharing his invaluable expertise with careful and wise directions. This is a wine that has arrived to stay. Despite its small production (only 2801 bottles in the 2013 vintage) it looks in the future with eagerness and hope, focusing on being liked and not on winning. With a strong emphasis on quality before quantity.

La hectárea de cepas más que centenarias que cultivamos en “Los Fornos”, alguna de las cuales ya trabajaba mi tatarabuelo, es la mejor garantía de la calidad de nuestro vino.  Aníbal de Otero, viña vieja 2013, se vendimió el 6 de octubre de 2013. La vendimia se realizó a mano, seleccionando las uvas en cajas pequeñas. Elaborado artesanalmente en depósito de 5000 litros, con la ayuda y colaboración de todo el equipo de bodegas Adriá. Después de unas semanas, concluida la fermentación, permaneció 14 meses en barrica del mejor roble francés y más de 20 meses en botella. Desde la etiqueta a la cápsula, del corcho a la caja, la botella, todo ha sido cuidado con esmero para que cuando finalmente llegue a tus manos puedas apreciar todo ese inmenso caudal de ilusión, trabajo, dedicación y profesionalidad que hay detrás de cada botella de este primer Aníbal de Otero.

You might like it more or less, but for sure it will not leave you unaffected. I’m sure that if you try it, you’ll want to repeat.