LAZTAN by Launa

With LAZTAN, which means CARICE in Basque, a wine made manually is sought, with minimal intervention and renouncing the use of any mechanical process for its production, based on caressing the grapes with the hands.

WINERY
After 7 generations of the family linked to the world of wine, Teodoro Unzalu and Mª Felisa Gaztelurrutia built the first winery in Villabuena (Rioja Alavesa) in 1978. In 2006, the ninth generation of the family sees the birth of a project that is the result of illusion, effort and spirit of improvement; the construction of the current winery in Laguardia (Rioja Alavesa). Built underground and next to the Sierra de Cantabria, the winery is located at an altitude of 690 meters and surrounded by a 7-hectare vineyard. Currently three brothers Iker, Unax and Usuri are in charge of managing the winery. The important recognitions obtained both nationally and internationally are a sign of the good direction that the winery has taken.

VINEYARD
From the 8.5-hectare farm that surrounds the winery, at an altitude of 647 meters, the best grapes from the vineyard area with the best grape quality are selected. This circumstance can change depending on the vintage, since the same farm has varied soils and slopes that mark differences in quality. For this vintage, a 0.8-hectare grid was chosen in the southern part of the estate, with a marked north-south slope, from which approximately 2,750 kg of grapes were selected. Manual harvest in 12 kg boxes on 10-8-2021.

ELABORATION
The grapes are manually destemmed and placed in a 500-litre open bocoy made of French oak, where they undergo alcoholic fermentation. Once the alcoholic fermentation is finished, the grapes are pressed using a manual press, obtaining a smooth extraction of the wine. Next, the wine will be introduced into a 500-liter French oak bocoy where it will undergo malolactic fermentation and its 7-month aging.