Ariyanas David Tinto Dulce – 37.5cl
An unfortified sweet red wine, 100% Merlot, aged for 4 months in French oak barrels.
The grapes are sourced from Ronda’s vineyards that have a clay and limestone soil; the vines are supported by a double cordon trellis system and short pruned. The harvest is manual in crates of 15 kilos, with careful selection in the vineyard. At the winery the grapes are placed on “floating racks” for 3-4 days allowing a balanced drying process as the currents of air circulate below the bunches.
The grapes are collected, bunch by bunch, de-stemmed and placed in stainless steel tanks, for a week-long cold maceration pre-fermentation. The aim is to obtain an intense colour and the primary scents of the grape while minimising extraction of tannins. Following this the grapes are extracted and gently pressed. Temperature controlled fermentation of the musts (without skins) at 15ºC brings the wine to 7º Baumé and 13% alcohol by volume – at which point fermentation is stopped through a cold shock (-3/-4ºC). It is then kept in French oak barrels of various ages for 4 months. A microfiltration is carried out prior to bottling.
The bottle is sealed with a glass stopper.
Awards:
93 points – Guia de Vino 2021
92 points – Guia de Vino 2020
17/20 points – Jancis Robinson’s Purple Pages – (Julia Harding July 2018)
Like the winery name Bentomiz, which comes from the ancient castle on the mountain top opposite, Ariyanas is a place name – that of a Moorish hamlet that was next to the vineyard before the Reconquest. The word comes from the Arabic for “aromatic”, which is appropriate since Bentomiz’s wines are definately aromatic.
Gleaming red colour with aromas of ripe cherries, blackcurrant and blackberry. A perfect balance of acidity and seductive sweetness; intense but light (very far from cloying) with soft tannins and a long finish.
Drink as an aperitif, desserts of chocolate or fruits of the forest, matured cheese. Recommended for Christmas celebrations.
This wine surprisingly works very well with main courses of strongly flavoured dark meats, especially venison.
Serve at 8-10ºC
About the Producer
Bodegas Bentomiz
Bodegas Bentomiz is a boutique winery in the hills of Malaga – a rugged landscape, steep vineyards and spectacular views. Sheltered by the Sierra Tejeda mountains to the north, with the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the area provides the perfect conditions for producing fresh and delicate wines.
The owners moved to Andalucia in 1995, into an area with centuries of wine making tradition, their property having vines that they vinified for personal use. Clara then became a full-time winemaker with a passion for creating subtle styles, eschewing high alcohol and too much oak in favour the minerial and saline character from the land and sea.
Their 80 to 100-year-old vines flourish in slate soils at heights of between 500m and 800m. There is little, though sufficient, winter rains (recently just 5 days!) and long, dry summers; but the heat is softened by sea breezes – they are onlt 7k inland. The rugged landscape is not easy to work – mechanisation is not possible, hoeing and harvesting the steep slopes is by hand.
The vines are maintained as ‘bush vines’: the previous year’s shoots are trimmed off at the end of the winter so that the new sprouts grow into branches with leaves that form a bush and provide the fruit with an essential shade. Humidity is so low that the grapes can ripen on the ground without any risk of rot.
Bentomiz has successfully experimented with a combination of modern and traditional vinification techniques. Wines are fermented in stainless-steel, temperature-controlled tanks. Some are aged in oak barrels; others ‘on the lees’ in stainless-steel tanks.
Over 20 Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe serve their Ariyanas wines.
