The name of the LAN winery is an acronym for the three sub-regions of the Rioja region: Logrono, Alava, and Navarra. Bodegas LAN owns very few vineyards but has maintained long-term contracts with numerous local winegrowers for decades. It's a wonderful interplay between the winery and the winegrower. The winegrower must deliver good, consistent, and above all, high-quality grapes, and the winery offers an above-average market price for the grapes. This creates an upward spiral; the winegrowers are passionate about their work and seem to ensure that the quality improves year after year.
The winemaker takes a somewhat hedonistic approach to creating this fantastic wine: he knows the conditions are right and trusts the quality of the vineyards. LAN Crianza D-12 is a blend of two exceptional vineyards: Lanciego in Rioja Alavesa—30 years old—and 15-year-old vineyards in Briones, Rioja Alta. Only Tempranillo grapes are used in this wine. The D-12 designation derives from the barrel number in which fermentation takes place—year after year. Finally, the juice is aged for twelve months (hence the Crianza name) in 70% American oak from Appalachia and 30% French oak from Loches.
Ultimately, it's the taste that counts. Spoiler alert: it's good. Deep and dark in flavor. You can sense the winemaker's trust in the finest quality grapes. Fine red fruit combined with plums and dried apricots. The skilled winemaker will discover even more in LAN Crianza D-12: vanilla, cinnamon, raisins, and a touch of soft, sweet licorice.
