Marques de Vargas Reserva 1998 (6 Bottles) Bodegas Marques de Vargas - (Logroño, La Rioja) D.O.: RIOJA Rioja Vintage Rating 1998: VERY GOOD "Built in 1989, on the Hacienda Pradolagar property in Logroño, the Marqués de Vargas Winery was the first project of the Marqués de Vargas Wine Group. This winery exclusively produces reserve red wines, made with grapes from selected plots of limited production. They have an area of ​​70 hectares, on clay-calcareous soil, in which the red varieties Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacha are grown. They use the utmost care throughout the entire process, avoiding irrigation, to avoid the loss of tannins, and not using any type of herbicides or pesticides. Marqués de Vargas Reserva is made with the Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Garnacha Tinta varieties. The grapes come from 30-year-old vineyards on the Padrolagar estate. The production of Marqués de Vargas Reserva begins with a harvest during the second week of September and a transfer to the winery in 15 kg boxes. Once in the winery, the wine undergoes fermentation for about 12 days in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 29-30ºC. Once the fermentation process is complete, the wine macerates for 11 days with the skins and with daily pumping over and stirring. Finally, Marqués de Vargas Reserva is aged for 23 months in American, French and Russian oak barrels."