scores: Vivino 4.2/5 A small winery in San Vcente de la Sonsierra, at the foot of the mountain, with a total production per year of 150,000 bottles among all its wines, offers us this spectacular 2017 vintage reserve wine. Very difficult wines to obtain due to their absolute scarcity, it is worth discovering them for their high quality the winery For more than a century, generations of the Mendoza family made wine for family and friends, in a small century-old cave, located within the walls of the Castle of San Vicente de la Sonsierra. The 17th century distillery Eloy Antonio's original idea was to continue making wine in the castle cave, but due to its small size and inaccessibility, in 1994 he decided to restore an old 17th century distillery and condition it as a winery. Thus began the journey of Bodegas Castillo de Mendoza. A NEW STAGE the new cellar The notable growth of the winery's activity means that in 2001 Castillo de Mendoza moved its facilities to a new construction in which an openwork excavated in solid rock in the traditional Rioja style coexists with current technology. The winery has 35 hectares of its own vineyard spread over different plots in the municipal territory of San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Ecological agriculture It is one of the pioneering wineries in Organic Agriculture in La Rioja. In the year 2000 they planted their first organic vineyard in Alto de Mindiarte. A set of isolated vineyard plots surrounded by a natural wooded environment full of fauna and flora. CASTILLO DE MENDOZA AUTOR BIO WINE 2018 Wine made with Tempranillo grapes collected and transported in boxes of small capacity, manually selected on the table to be then destemmed and squeezed. Small controlled fermentation truncated-conical stainless steel tank. Malolactic fermentation in new French oak barrels of fine grain and medium toasting, following an aging in the same on its lees for 20 months and a permanence After a minimum of 12 months in the bottle before going on the market. TASTING NOTES: View: Cherry red color with violet hues. Smell: Very intense aroma of black fruits - blackberries, blueberries, plums - and fine notes of pastries and cocoa, very spicy, certain hints of lowland herbs such as rosemary and lavender. Taste: enveloping on the palate, with great body and structure, very complex, certain sensations of Ripe fruit and mineral touches give it a long and persistent finish.