Campos de Solana – Esther Ortiz
$95.00
The Valle de Santa Ana, just outside of Tarija, offers a long season which is ideal for the late ripening Petit Verdot. This variety has also adapted fantastically to high altitude conditions, benefitting from the high UV and from the high diurnal temperature difference to preserve freshness. Initially, it was a bet to age the variety separately and not to improve existing blends with it. But over time, Esther Ortiz has become one of Campos’ best wines. Esther means ‘star’ as a tribute to the founder’s spouse.
This is Campos de Solana's, and probably Bolivia's crown jewel in the world of wine. It is composed of 100% Petit Verdot, which is in and of itself unusual, since Petit Verdot is generally a grape used for blending in Bordeaux wines. However, it is in our petit corner of Bolivia where this grape finds its ultimate expression. The high altitude, aridity and soil - along with this wine's single origin vineyard - play a large part in making this usually humble grape sing. To be sure - it's not just us saying this. This wine has won many awards, including the Gold Medal at the 2019 Vinialies Internationales competition for the 2016 vintage as well as the Gold Medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in 2017. Esther Ortiz benefits from the skill of Campos' head winemaker, Nelson Sfarcich, who has determined that a long maceration, with no filtration build the foundation for this grape. The wine is barrel aged in partly new French oak for 24 months, and subsequently aged in bottle for another 6 months before release. The winemaker estimates that Esther Ortiz has an aging potential of 7 to 10 years.
