Ariyanas Rosado
A very special rosé, made totally from the rare Romé grape.
The steep old vineyards of Malaga’s Axarquía region maintain much of the diversity of vines that makes them unique. Among the varieties is Romé, the rare indigenous red grape, small quantities of which are found planted randomly, here and there.
Bodegas Bentomiz’s desire to preserve this variety led to the developing of this rosé, a wine faithful to the terroir and with great typicality; a result of the variety’s adaptation to its environment.
The vines are grown ‘en vaso’ – in a shallow trench, their branches creeping horizontally along the ground. Approximate grape production is 1kg per vine. The harvest is manual, using 15 kilo crates, with bunch selection made in the vineyard.
The grapes are de-stemmed and lightly pressed. There is no maceration pre-fermentation; instead spontaneous fermentation occurs in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine is aged on fine lees for 8 months with a ‘batonage’ every 2-3 weeks. Clarification is through natural sedimentation.
Limited production of 2240 bottles – with the ability to age
Awards:
Jancis Robinson’s Purple Pages – 17/20 points
- Best rosé of Andalusia
- Second best Spanish rosé overall
Like the winery name Bentomiz, which comes from the ancient castle on the mountain top opposite, Ariyanas is a place name – that of a Moorish hamlet that was next to the vineyard before the Reconquest. The word comes from the Arabic for “aromatic”, which is appropriate since Bentomiz’s wines are definately aromatic.
A beautiful deep pink rosé with stand-out minerality and freshness. Richly perfumed with hints of fresh red fruit and flower petals, roses and lavender. On the palate its red fruits are smooth, tasty and dry. A subtle and harmonious wine, with saline and floral hints in the aftertaste.
Very adaptable food match: serve as an aperitif, with seafood (especially shellfish or lobster) rice dishes, ceviche or Asian cuisine.
About the Producer
Bodegas Bentomiz
Bodegas Bentomiz is a boutique winery in the hills of Malaga – a rugged landscape of steep vineyards and spectacular views. Sheltered by the Sierra Tejeda mountains to the north, with the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the area provides the perfect conditions for producing fresh and delicate wines – the emphasis is to create subtle styles, eschewing high alcohol and too much oak in favour the mineral and saline character from the land and sea.
Dutch couple Clara Verjeij and Andre Both emigrated to Andalucia in 1995 in search of a warmer climate and more prospects for Andre’s building and engineering business, with Clara setting up a language school in nearby Competa. But as they built their new home in an area with centuries of wine making tradition, a new idea emerged. Their property in Sayalonga had an abandoned vineyard that, as wine lovers, they restored for personal use producing their first 700 bottles in 2003.
Starting with this ‘vino del terreno’ a simple, local, hobby wine they followed up instructions from locals about growing grapes and making wine. As soon as they saw the potential in the estates indigenous old vine Moscatel de Alejandria and Rome grapes they decided to be more professional. Clara became a full time winemaker, whilst Andre developed the restaurant side of their business in the Bauhaus-style winery built in 2005
The estates 80 to 100-year-old vines, with more recent additional plantings, flourish in the special Terruno Pizarroso slate soils, at heights of between 500m and 800m. There is little, though sufficient, winter rains (recently just 5 days!) and long, dry summers; but the heat is softened by sea breezes – being only 7k inland.
At Bentomiz, the vines grow in bush form, known as ‘en vaso’. This ensures that the leafy top branches of the bush afford essential shade to the fruit growing underneath. Due to the low humidity of the area, the grapes can ripen low to the ground without the risk of rot. Bush vines also grow very deep roots, reaching the water table that other vines would not achieve in this region of low rainfall.
The rugged landscape is not easy to work – mechanisation is not possible, harvesting the steep slopes is by hand and usually taking place in the hottest part of the year in mid-August.
Once harvested, the grapes are dried, like raisins, on paseros or on floating racks which allows the air to move over the top and underneath the grapes. Bentomiz has successfully experimented with a combination of modern and traditional vinification techniques. Many of their processes vary from the norm, with great success, but has taken a great deal of experimentation along the way. Wines are fermented in stainless-steel, temperature-controlled tanks. Some are aged in oak barrels; others ‘on the lees’ in stainless-steel tanks.
Over 20 Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe serve their Ariyanas wines.
