Carlos Plaza Seleccion, Vino de la Tierra de Extremadura

Description

Carlos Plaza Seleccion is a Spanish red wine, a blend of Tempranillo, Merlot and Syrah. It comes from the Extremadura region of Spain and is bottled as a Vino de la Tierra de Extremadura.

Bodegas Carlos Plaza, The Best of Extremadura

Bodegas Carlos Plaza is located in the south-west of Spain, in Extremadura, a region much closer to the Alentejo in Portugal than to any other Spanish wine region. It is situated on the outskirts of a small village called Cortegana with fewer than 300 inhabitants. The winery was founded in 2009 by Carlos Plaza, who had spent over 20 years working in viticulture and winemaking for other producers, including managing his family’s vineyards.

Situated in the heart of the wine-growing triangle formed by Almendralejo, Badajoz, and Mérida, the bodega is surrounded by vast fields of vineyards and olive groves. It specialises in producing high-quality wines under the Vinos de la Tierra de Extremadura designation, emphasising fresh, approachable styles that highlight the region’s terroir.

Early Morning Harvest

Extremadura can get extremely hot around harvest time, and harvest is often started 4 am and finished by 11 am so that the grapes can be picked in the cool early morning, avoiding the scorching daytime sun. Harvest can begin as early as mid-August, some of the earliest harvested grapes in Europe. Harvesting is carried out manually into small cases of 12/15 kg to ensure the grapes are kept in good condition. The maximum journey of the grapes to the winery takes no more than an hour and on arrival the grapes undergo careful selection. Each grape variety is vinified separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel.

Carlos Plaza Seleccion is a blend of Tempranillo 70%, Syrah 15% and Merlot 15% aged for 6 months in new French and American oak barrels.