“A privileged location in rioja alavesa“
“There is not such thing as being lost in a vineyard. You are always in the right place.”
Unknown.
Rioja Alavesa is said to be a privileged location because of its very particular microclimate. Protected from humidity and northern winds by the mountains of Sierra de Cantabria and, in turn, surrounded by the river Ebro, winters are mild and humid in this area while summers tend to be hot and dry. Moreover, it is the only Mediterranean climate within an Atlantic climate, showing hints of a continental climate too. As a result, wines made in this region are fresh and very fruity.
Similarly to what occurs in Rioja Alavesa, Baños de Ebro has a type of clay-calcareous soil that characterizes us. Although these soils are poor and difficult to work, wine aromas and flavours are enhanced, allowing us to make unique and special wines.
All of our wines are produced exclusively with grapes from our own vineyards. This means that HPM Wineries thoroughly controls the entire process from grape production to winemaking. This enables us to secure the maximum quality of our wines.
Our family owns 40 hectares of vineyards in Baños de Ebro, Rioja Alavesa. These are divided into 64 plots of land at different altitudes which causes each grape to have a particular shade. At the same time, this gives each wine its own character. As we advocate the use of autochthonous varieties, we only work with varieties native to Rioja such as: Tempranillo, Graciano and Garnacha when it comes to red varieties, and Tempranillo Blanco and Viura as white varieties. These varieties have special significance to us since they were born in the heart of Rioja and represent our tradition and character.
For us, it is primordial to respect our land because it provides us with so much. We are devoted to work our land, caring for it and honouring the vineyard and its natural environment in order to obtain healthy grapes that will be transformed into healthy wines. Grapes are living things that need to be treated carefully, and for them to reveal their maximum expression meticulous care throughout the year and wise choices of harvesting times are required.
The harvesting season is the most beautiful and important time of the year for us. We work hard for 11 months so that our vineyards have the best quality possible by the beginning of the harvest season. We select the exact time of harvest for each plot of land depending on the moment it reaches its optimum ripeness and, when the time comes, it is hand harvested.
Harvesting usually takes place between the months of September and October. However, the starting date can vary from year to year since this process is highly influenced by external factors such as rainfall, hours of sun or the techniques employed to wok the land, among others.
“From the harvest to Christmas, everything is as easy as pie”.
Spanish old saying