Oxer Bastegieta, Kalamity, D.O.C. Rioja, red wine, 0.75l

Kalamity has long been one of the best and most sought-after wines from the D.O.C. Rioja region, with every vintage scoring at least 95 Parker points.

Grape variety: A unique harmony of four varieties - 48% Tempranillo, 48% Garnacha, 2% Viura and 2% Garnacha Blanca - creates something unique that no lover or collector of red wines should miss.

Vineyard covering 3 ha is located in Cárdenas (Rioja Alta) at an altitude of 580 metres, and its history goes back to 1903. Here the soil is clay-based, rich in iron. The second vineyard, 101 years old, covering 1 ha in Elvillar (Rioja Alavesa), lies at an altitude of 600 metres and has clay-limestone soil.

Ageing: The best grapes from each plot are selected and vinified separately in open vats, barrels and concrete eggs using local yeasts. After 12 months of ageing in 500-litre French oak barrels, the wines are blended.

Tasting notes: Kalamity is extremely complex on the nose, offering a variety of dark forest fruit, violet blossom, a hint of thyme and mild peppery tones. This aroma will develop and deepen over the years. The taste is sweetly mineral and mildly spiced with long persistence. On the palate the wine is elegant and well-balanced, with lively acidity, a mineral base and a long finish that recalls fruity tones with delicate spicy undertones. It is robust yet also fresh, structured, and interesting both for drinking now and for longer cellaring.

Food pairing: Serve the wine at a temperature of 15-18 °C, ideally letting it decant for about 30 minutes before serving, so its aromatic layers can fully open up. Excellent for pairing with richly flavoured dishes, especially grilled or roasted red meat (e.g. lamb or beef), game and sauces based on tomato or mushroom. It is also an excellent companion to truffles, pâtés, cheeses with an intense flavour, as well as mushroom risottos or hearty meat ragùs.

The name Kalamity and its striking label are inspired by winemaker Oxer Bastegieta's love of literature, specifically Shakespeare's phrase "Honi soit qui mal y pense" (Shame on him who thinks evil of it), which comes from the play "The Reign of King Edward the Third". The wine itself is the result of a careful blending of wines from different Rioja sub-regions (Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa) and century-old vineyards farmed with respect for the soil. The result is a wine that is very rich in flavour, aromatically complex and with the potential to age beautifully, despite its relatively energetic and lively character when young.

Alcohol content: 14%
Origin: Spain, D.O.Rioja