ウニコを造り続けてきた男の本当に造りたかったワイン

スペイン至宝、ベガシシリアで最高醸造責任者として25年勤めた、ハビエル・アウサス氏。 ウニコを始めとする、消費者の知るベガシシリアの世界とはこのハビエルが造ってきたワインといっても過言ではありません。 2015年に退職。 その後、フランスやスペインの著名なワイナリーのコンサルタントをしながら、自らのフィロソフィーを体現するワイン造りに着手しておりました。 そしてついに世に送り出したワインがこの「アウサス」。 2016年がファーストヴィンテージです。

長年の経験から今も良好な関係を築いているリベラ・デル・ドゥエロの栽培農家から優れたぶどうを手に入れ、それぞれの畑の特徴を活かしてアッサンブラージュされております。（畑はブルゴスのモラディーリョ、ロア、ナバデロアなど）

エレガントとは？
フレッシュとは？
ピュアさとは？

一見、複雑さと対峙するかのような難題に挑んだ彼の答え、そのすべてがこの1本に詰まっております。 デビュー作にして集大成、限定数だけしかリリースされない貴重な逸品です。

洗練された緻密なタンニン、果実味、ハーブ、スパイス、樽と調和した見事なバランス、リベラデルドゥエロの特徴とアウサスのフィロソフィー（酸、パワフルかつエレガンス）が体現されています。

BODEGA Y VINEDO AUSAS
ボデガ・イ・ビニェド アウサス
生産地：スペイン カステーリャ・イ・レオン リベラ・デル・ドゥエロ
原産地呼称：DO. RIBERA DEL DUERO
ぶどう品種：テンプラニーリョ 100%
アルコール度数：15.0%
味わい：赤ワイン 辛口 フルボディ

ワインアドヴォケイト：95 ポイント
The Wine Advocate RP 95 Reviewed by: Luis Gutierrez Release Price: $70 Drink Date: 2018 - 2026
In its first year the 2016 Interpretacion is Tempranillo from over 40-year-old head-pruned vines on sand clay and limestone soils with plenty of stones at 900 meters in altitude. It went through a cold soak and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and concrete vats. It matured for 16 months in 225- and 500-liter oak barrels 40% of them new. I was blown away by the wine in bottle after tasting the 2017 in barrel. This is Ausas's interpretation of Ribera del Duero after 30 years of experience. He's sourcing grapes from specific growers that he has known for a long time as he had purchased grapes for Alion from many of them. The wine shows the character of Ribera a chalky backbone of fine-grained tannins coated by fruit and berries an herbal spicy touch and perfectly integrated oak. There is good freshness a rare combination of elegance and power and superb balance. My guess is the wine should develop nicely and for a very long time in bottle. 20 200 bottles 495 magnums 50 double magnums and five imperials were filled in May 2018.

Javier Ausas who was winemaker at Vega Sicilia between 1998 and July 2015 started consulting for some other wineries when he left that job and he also started his own solo project. I tasted his first vintage 2016 in his small winery in Quintanilla de Onesimo one single Ribera del Duero red. The wine is sold through the negociant system in Bordeaux and through Europvin for Asia with national importers for Europe.

I met with Ausas in his small winery in the village of Quintanilla and tasted through the components of the 2017 in 500-liter oak barrels-five different styles/zones all from old vines that represent more or less the same blend as the 2016 but from a slightly warmer and riper year. The moment I put my nose in the first glass I was taken to the Ribera del Duero of yesteryear. Power with elegance and despite the fact that I tasted all these components from new barrels the wines were pure and clean and with no noticeable oak. I was truly impressed. 2016 is a cooler more Atlantic vintage that has provided wines with a lot more tension. Published: Sep 01 2018