Aseginolaza y Leunda

Navarra

Location San Martin de Unx, Pamplona - 4 Ha
Grapes Garnacha, Mazuelo, Tempranillo, Viura
Viticulture Organic (uncertified)
Producer Jon Aseginolaza & Pedro M. Leunda
Website aseginolazayleunda.com
Location San Martin de Unx, Pamplona - 5 Ha
Grapes Garncaha, Carinena Tempranillo Viura
Viticulture Organic (uncertified)
Producer Jon Aseginloza & Pedro Leunda
Website aseginolazayleunda.com

Pedro M. Leunda and Jon Aseginolaza are two locals to San Sebastian who have been firm friends since childhood. Both are infused with the gastronomic traditions of their home town and although both  are biologist, it was only a matter of time that their paths would lead them to the vineyard. Pamplona is now their home town, and through a circuitous route, their first vineyard, Santa Zita, a tiny plot of old vine Garnacha with a tiny little ‘finca’ that lies on the southern edge of San Martin de Unx, came into their hands in 2016. Since then a total of 10 ‘vineyards’ across less than 4 hectares is now under their tenure-ship, with one or two more in their sites.

 

Their love of wine is infectious. They cite all the great names of the modern Spanish cannon as references and friends, (Laura Lorenzo is a trusted advisor) and the wines they make represent the style of wine they love. What is so striking is that comparisons to Burgundy seem to litter the tasting notes, from the elegance of their ‘pinot-esque’ wines, to the very defined differences in terroir, micro-cuvées (Otsaka is just 375 bottles) and sheer drink-ability.

 

The vineyards are scattered across the south western area of Navarra, and are tended, pruned, hoed and harvested by hand by Pedro. Jon is winemaker and due to a serendipitous with modernised bodegas in the village, is winemaker. The ferments are part whole-bunch, non-crushed and made in inox tanks (1,000 litres max). After Malo (or not) the wines are finished in old oak selected from the best coopers in France. Ageing is seldom more than 6 months, perhaps 9 for a vintage like 19, but new oak and oxidative wine-making is not the goal here. Currently 5 distinct cuvées of red are ageing, with one new white from La Hoya vineyard, and Cuvée is a blend of Muruzabal and Torraza vineyards. The wines are bottled with low SO2 and no filtration or fining.

Aseginolaza y Leunda Wines

Leunda Txuria (Viura) 100% Viura. White Wine. Grapes from a small vineyard (0.5 Ha) with non-irrigated old bush-vines. The soil is composed by sand and silt with pockets of clay. Altitude 490 mtr South facing. Grape are whole-bunch pressed. Fermentation is in Stainless Steel. Aged with fine lees and weekly batonnage for 6mth in stainless steel and 3mth in 400 L old French oak barrels. Wine not clarified but was filtered. Without additives, except a minimum dosage of sulphur dioxide
Kauten 100% Garnacha. Planted in cane pruned formation on poor calcerous soils and alluvial silt, as it is part of an ancient river terrace at 410mtr, and where the roots have to go very deep to find moisture. 20% whole-bunch ferment, placed at the bottom of the tank, with the 80% destemmed fruit placed on top. Some cap plunging was made during ferment which lasted 12 days prior to basket pressing. Aged for 4 months in old oak barrique. 999 bottles made (Tasting from Barrel) Dense in colour, core of black cherry velvet tannins, vinous in the round even at this early stage with bundles of energy. Super contained too, and lasting impression feels cool and ‘mineral’ on the palate.
Cuvee 75% Garnacha, 25% Mazuelo. ‘Cuvée’ is a blend of the vineyards intented to represent the winemaking style of the winery. It is made up of old vine, bush trained Garnacha and Mazeulo parcels. The vines are located in Muruzabal and Azagra which sit upon stony, clay and silt top soil over limestone. The fruit is destemmed and fermented in stainless steel with a daily hand plunge. Cuvaison is around 12 days and the fruit is basket pressed. There is 6 months ageing in old French oak, prior to bottling un-fined and unfiltered. 1441 bottles made.
Camino de Otsaka 100% Garnacha. Otsaka is perhaps the most extraordinary vineyard, not for anything other than it produces just 365 bottles of wine but because it is the last remaining (0,2ha) vineyard on a hillside that was once covered in vines until around 30 years ago. Located in the village of Barasoain this is the northerly limit for Garnacha in Navarra (and Spain) sitting on sandstone with clay mineral soil at 535 metres in an easterly orientation. This vintage saw 10% of the bunches left whole, with ferment in stainless steel, basket pressing and a further 6 months in 300 litre oak. The wine is finished in stainless steel for 6 months. 365 bottles made
Camino de La Torraza 50% Garnacha 50% Mazuelo. Torraza is a single parcel of 0.4ha in Ebro river valley in the village of Azagra. The old bush trained vines are of 50% Grenache and 50% Mazuelo planted on gypsum among clay silts over limestone at 380mtr on a North East orientation. The fruit is 25% whole-bunch and co-fermented in stainless steel prior to pressing in a basket press. The wine is aged for 4mth in stainless steel prior to 9mth in old French barrels. Technically this could be classed as Rioja as it falls within the DO, but for now is just VdT. 733 bottles made.
Camino de Santa Zita 100% Garnacha. Santa Zita is where it all started, and where Jon and Pedro made the first wine, in a little shack in the vineyard. The beautiful aspect looks over the Zidacos river valley from the village of San Martín de Unx, and is planted to old bush trained vines of Garnacha, planted among olive and almond trees on a terrance of alluvial silty clay soil over limestone at 540mtr , with a NW orientation. 20% destemmed with minimal hand plunging in stainless steel and 4mth elevage. After this it is transferred to old French barrique for 9mth of ageing.
Leunda Txuria (Viura) 100% Viura. White Wine. Grapes from a small vineyard (0.5 Ha) with non-irrigated old bush-vines. The soil is composed by sand and silt with pockets of clay. Altitude 490mtr South facing. Grape are whole-bunch pressed. Fermentation is in Stainless Steel. Aged with fine lees and weekly batonnage for 6mth in stainless steel and 3mth in 400 L old French oak barrels. Wine not clarified but was filtered. Without additives, except a minimum dosage of sulphur dioxide
Kauten 100% Garnacha. Planted in cane pruned formation on poor calcerous soils and alluvial silt, as it is part of an ancient river terrace at 410mtr, and where the roots have to go very deep to find moisture. 20% whole-bunch ferment, placed at the bottom of the tank, with the 80% destemmed fruit placed on top. Some cap plunging was made during ferment which lasted 12 days prior to basket pressing. Aged for 4 months in old oak barrique. 999 bottles made (Tasting from Barrel) Dense in colour, core of black cherry velvet tannins, vinous in the round even at this early stage with bundles of energy. Super contained too, and lasting impression feels cool and ‘mineral’ on the palate.
Cuvee 80% Garnacha 20% Marzuelo. ‘Cuvee’ is the blend of the vineyards that do not yet produce enough fruit to make a single parcel wine. It is formed from old vine, bush trained Garnacha and a little Marzeulo. The vines are located in Muruzabal and Azagra which sit upon stony, clay and silt top soil over limestone. Here the fruit was destemmed and fermented in stainless steel with a daily hand plunge. Cuvaison is around 12 days and the fruit is basket pressed. 6 months ageing in old French oak, prior to bottling un-fined and unfiltered. 1441 bottles made.
Camino de Otsaka 100% Garnacha. Otsaka is perhaps the most extraordinary vineyard, not for anything other than it produces just 365 bottles of wine but because it is the last remaining (0,2ha) vineyard on a hillside that was once covered in vines until around 30 years ago. Located in the village of Barasoain this is the northerly limit for Garnacha in Navarra (and Spain) sitting on sandstone with clay mineral soil at 535 metres in an easterly orientation. This vintage saw 10% of the bunches left whole, with ferment in stainless steel, basket pressing and a further 6 months in 300 litre oak. The wine is finished in stainless steel for 6 months. 365 bottles made
Camino de La Torraza 50% Garnacha 50% Marzuelo. Torraza is a single parcel of 0.4ha in Ebro river valley in the village of Azegra. The old bush trained vines are of 50% Greanche and 50% Marzuelo planted on gypsum among clay silts over limestone at 380mtr on a North East orientation. The fruit is 25% whole-bunch and co-fermented in stainless steel prior to pressing in a basket press. The wine is aged for 4mth in stainless steel prior to 9mth in old French barrels. Technically this could be classed as Rioja as it falls within the DO, but for now is just VdT. 733 bottles made.
Camino de Santa Zita 100% Garnacha. Santa Zita is where it all started, and where Jon and Pedro made the first wine, in a little shack in the vineyard. The beautiful aspect looks over the Ebro from the village of Unx, and is planted to old bush trained vines of Garnacha, planted among cherry trees on a terrance of alluvial silty clay soil over limestone at 540mtr , with a NW orientation. 20% destemmed with minimal hand plunging in stainless steel and 4mth elevage. After this it is transferred to old French barrique for 9mth of ageing.