Spanish Rioja Alavesa-based winery Remírez de Ganuza has partnered with artist Adriana Oliver to unveil its 2024 vintage of Erre Punto.
The Erre Punto annual release, a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, and Viura, has been a staple in the Remírez de Ganuza range since 2001.
For the new vintage of Erre Punto, the Spanish winery collaborated with Barcelona-born portrait and pop-inspired artist Adriana Oliver. The artist was inspired by her visit to Samaniego, Rioja Alavesa, where she got to know the team, the vineyard care, and the winemaking processes at Remírez de Ganuza.
Oliver commented on the experience: "It has been an incredible experience to collaborate with Remírez de Ganuza in the design of the label for the new vintage of Erre Punto. During this process, I have had the opportunity to delve into the world of wine, a universe as exciting and full of nuances as that of art. Discovering its details, its history and its connection with creativity has been enriching."
Jose Ramón Urtasun
, winemaker of Remírez de Ganuza, praised Oliver's minimalistic approach: "A label is, after all, a blank canvas, but Adriana has not limited herself to proposing a design. Through a joint process, we have got to know each other and learned from each other. At Remírez de Ganuza, we make wine, but we interact with people, and this label is a reflection of this experience between people."
Urtasun added: "We felt it was time to change a label that had been with us for many years, and we wanted to do it in the best possible way. The process of getting to know each other has been a very nice experience. Both when Adriana has been in the winery, soaking up what we do, and for us to get to know her work and creative process in more depth. The result is a label that elevates the image of Erre Punto. It is elegant, timeless and adds a very important plus to the wine."
Vino en rama
Described as 'one of the winery's most special wines', the Erre Punto 2024 is made using the traditional Alavesa carbonic maceration technique. The technique involves placing grape clusters in a sealed tank filled with carbon dioxide to initiate fermentation within each grape. Erre Punto is crafted from grapes harvested from vineyards with an average age of over 60 years, contributing to its balanced character. The older vines yield grapes that provide a delicate and profound natural balance due to the low yields associated with their age.
Fernando Remírez de Ganuza, the winery's founder, has an innovative approach to grape selection by separating the upper shoulders from the lower tips of Tempranillo bunches. The unstemmed tips are used for young wine due to their freshness. Fermentation occurs in 7,000-litre stainless steel tanks, preserving 90% of the grapes for a purer carbonic maceration. After fermentation, the wine is naturally stabilised using winter's cold and is bottled before spring, qualifying it as a vino en rama.
According to Jesús Mendoza, winemaker of Remírez de Ganuza, the 2024 vintage "presents a medium deep cherry red colour, with a violet rim. The nose is intense, fine and expressive, with floral notes of lilacs and violets, and fruity notes of red fruits and redcurrants. In the background, black liquorice. On the palate, it is fresh, lively, tasty and elegant, with a lingering, delicious finish."
Erre Punto 2024 is limited to 10,500 750ml bottles and 432 magnums, and is now available with a suggested retail price of €16 (US$18).
