This type of stopper has a rubber disk that seals the top and is held tightly against it by clamps that lock under the top lip of the bottle. A cork or stopper would be blown off very quickly. Only a clamp-on stopper will do the job. Although, these wines can be frightfully expensive, they offer powerfully heady, supple, explosively rich wines with a great deal of spicy, sweet, toasty, vanillin-scented oak. Located just outside the appellation of Ribera del Duero is Abadia Retuerta, an enterprise destined to become a dominant player at the top of Spanish wines.
Some vineyards are a half century, or more, old.
There is a fierce pride among some Rioja winemakers who believe that Tempranillo wines are superior to the Cabernet Sauvignon wines from France. When made by the best producers, Rioja will be a mature wine having a medium ruby color and a huge, fragrant bouquet of tobacco, cedar, smoky oak, and sweet, ripe fruit.