Bodegas Vinicola Real was founded in 1989 by Miguel Ángel Rodríguez in Albelda de Iregua, a town with a remarkable history, whose roots go back beyond the medieval era.
Vinícola Real was built near the chapel of Santa Catalina, the only part that remains of the Monastery of San Martín de Albelda founded in the year 924 AD, the Monastery was destroyed due to the detachment of the Salagona rock in 1683.
Vinícola Real was born with the vocation of being a small production winery specializing in high quality wines and "vinos de pago". The idea is to produce "great wines" from a single terroir, with a differentiated method of production and aging, and with a strong personality (the new style of La Rioja).
The name "200 Monges" is a tribute to the disappeared monastery of San Martín de Albeda located in La Rioja and to all those monks who dedicated themselves to safeguarding culture.
It is a blend of Tempranillo (85%),Graciano (10%) and Garnacha (5%) grape varieties which are grown from very old vines.
The harvest is done by hand and the grapes are transported to the winery in small 15kg boxes which ensures that they are not damaged before they reach the winery.
The grapes are de-stemmed before fermentation and then placed in Allier wood vats for 11 days at a temperature between 24 to 28 degrees.
They stay with their skins for an additional 25 days which contributes to the wines fine tannins and the final colour which lasts for a long time.
The winery applies a daily pumping of three times a day and regular racking.
The aging takes place for 24 months in new French and American oak barrels that are placed in an excavated rock cave and maintained at a constant temperature and humidity.
After the aging process, the wine is moved into deposits before it is bottled. Then the wine stays for a minimum of 15-16 months in the bottle before it is released onto the market.
A beautiful wine from La Rioja created between modern development and classic barrel aging.
It is advisable to uncork and decant between 30 and 45 minutes before, in order to fully appreciate its full aromatic potential.
