JC Vizcarra

JC Vizcarra
JC Vizcarra is an estate-bottled wine made by Bodegas Vizcarra Ramos in the Ribera del Duero
DO region. The “JC” in the wine’s name are the initials of proprietor and winemaker Juan Carlos
Vizcarra. The first vintage for this small-production bottling was 2004. Founded in 1991, the
property has 26 hectares (64 acres) of vineyards in the villages of Mambrilla de Castrejón and Roa,
in the northern central area of Ribera del Duero within Burgos province. Many of Ribera’s best
bodegas farm vineyards located in this area. Today, Vizcarra is considered among the top
producers in Ribera del Duero. Juan Carlos is one of the pioneers of the garagiste winemaking
movement in Spain, has a philosophy centered on making wines that show elegance and finesse. In
order to achieve this goal, the winemaking is exclusively by gravity. A focus on careful vineyard
work and gentle winemaking prevents harsh tannins and instead produces soft, elegant wines. The
emphasis is on the fruit rather than the tannins. JC Vizcarra is made of grape bunches selected from
10 different parcels within Mambrilla de Castrejón, located in cooler, higher elevation sites in
Ribera’s Burgos district. The goal with this very reasonably priced Ribera is to make a wine that
can improve with 15 or more years of bottle age. Made with a restrained oak regimen to respect the
wine’s elegance, a good way to describe this wine is “classic Ribera.”
WHAT MAKES THIS WINE UNIQUE?: This is a wine that can age more than 15 years: an unheard of value for
price/quality. This wine is made from estate-owned grapes. This limited-production cuvée is made strictly by gravity.
Showcases the powerful character of Ribera del Duero in an elegant and balanced fashion.
RATING HISTORY: 2012 91IWC; 2011 91RP; 2010 94RP; 2009 91RP & IWC; 2008 92RP; 2007 90IWC;
GRAPE: 100% Tinto Fino. Organically grown vines planted from 1980 - 1990. Tended in limestone and sandy soil at 849
m (2,875 ft) elevation
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS: With meaty, herbal, and earthy aromas, this wine has the soul typical of great Riberas. Pair
this with lamb shank, roast beef, grilled steak and braised pork shoulder. For more casual fare, beef, lamb or bison burgers
on the rare side and ropa vieja are good matches.
VINIFICATION AND AGEING: Gravity is a critical component in Juan Carlos's winemaking. The philosophy is always to
be gentle in extracting. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel. The
wine is aged for fifteen months in French and American oak barrels, 50% new and 50% two years old.
PRODUCTION: 1,500 cases
LOCATION, SOIL, CLIMATE: The vineyards are located in the town of Mambrilla, at 849 meters (2,785 ft.) elevation.
They lie within the northern central area of the Ribera del Duero DO (Zone 2), in the province of Burgos in Castilla y León.
The vineyard’s topsoil is composed of clay and limestone and the subsoil is gravel. The area’s climate has an average
temperature from April-October of 60.5ºF and the average annual rainfall is 18.9 inches. An extreme Continental climate,
with cool nights and hot days with moderately low rainfall, provides a longer ripening period, and results in wines with
greater complexity and more expressive, intense aromas. Harvest usually begins the first week of October and ends by
mid-month.
Juan Carlos Vizcarra
TASTING NOTES Youthful purple color. Perfumed aromas of blackberry, blueberry, dark chocolate and vanilla, with a
peppery note adding vibrancy. Offers suave, gently sweet dark berry flavors and notes of licorice and cola that fan out on
the back half. The cola and blueberry notes carry through on the sappy, nicely delineated, persistent finish.
ALCOHOL CONTENT: 14.5%
UPC CODE: 810411011058