This wine’s distinct personality comes from three key factors: the vines’ location on slopes and terraces, the exhaustive selection of vines producing a maximum of three bunches naturally, and berries weighing a maximum of 250 grams.
An expressive wine with very ripe concentrated fruit and earthiness, balsamic notes and a spicy bouquet and undertones of blackberry and blueberry preserves coated with creamy touches from the oak and a light, aromatic notes of toffee and cafe au lait. Concentrated on the palate with a rich viscosity, a voluptuous yet not overpowering body and balanced tannins. This is an expressive wine with optimum structure, complexity and balance.
Total acidity: 6.0 gr/l Volatile acidity: 0.50 gr/l PH: 3.47 Free SO2: 25 mg/l Reducing sugars: 1.8 gr/l
Hiru 3 racimos is a complex wine and so is its pairing with food. We must consider two options, either drink it in light sips so that the wine itself is the star of the feast, or serve with solid dishes that can match its vigour. An Iberian pork loin with roasted peppers, steak with mushrooms and plums, wild boar stew or pheasant in port are dishes that blend incredibly with this characterful wine.
"The villages of Leza, Navaridas, Samaniego and Villabuena supply the fruit for this oldvine blend of Tempranillo with 10% Graciano, aged in new French oak and deliberately produced in a super modern style that wouldn’t look out of place in Ribera del Duero. Floral, concentrated, compact, extracted and assertively wooded. 2022-26"
- TIM ATKIN RIOJA 2020 SPECIAL REPORT, February 2020, 92 pts
"A red with impressive richness and concentration with loads of ripe dark fruit and rich, smoky flavor. It’s full-bodied with round tannins and a flavorful finish. A little over-oaked, but should come around. Drink in 2021."
- James Suckling (October 2020), 90 pts
"Three bunches per vine is the rule for this top wine from Juan Luis Cañas - hence its name in Spanish - aged in new French oak and showing strapping flavours and masses of fruit concentration. Cedar wood, damson and blackberry flavours combine seductively on the palate, but give this time. 2022-30"
- TIM ATKIN RIOJA 2019 SPECIAL REPORT, February 2019, 93 pts
"(all tempranillo, with malo and aging in new French and American oak): Dark purple. An intensely perfumed bouquet displays scents of spicy dark berries, cherry and vanilla, with exotic floral pastille and spicecake notes adding complexity and building with air. Pliant blackberry and cassis flavors show excellent depth and appealing sweetness, with building sweetness and no rough edges. The vanilla and floral qualities come back strong on the finish, which hangs on with superb tenacity and a hint of dusty tannins. - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (September 2014), 93 pts
"This wine has flashy new oak appeal with a fresh cedary, spice. There is a wealth of mocha and ripe plum fruit, too. The palate delivers a creamy, smooth texture and plenty of ripe plum-like fruit flavor. Drink now."
- James Suckling (July 2017), 92 pts
Year's Best Rioja Wines
- Wine & Spirits Magazine (December 2019), 90 pts
"Dark ruby. Powerful, oak-spiced blackberry and blueberry aromas take on mocha, woodsmoke and vanilla qualities with air. Lush, weighty and seamless in the mouth, showing excellent focus and spicy thrust to the dark fruit liqueur, cherry-vanilla and spicecake flavors. This wine really stains the palate, but I get no impression of excess weight. Finishes sweet, round and extremely long, featuring smooth tannins and a repeating blue fruit note. - Josh Raynolds."
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (May 2017), 94 pts
"(made from tempranillo vines that are all over 60 years old; malo in new French oak followed by further aging in more new oak barrels): Inky ruby. Heady aromas of black and blue fruits, oak spices and candied flowers. Stains the palate with intense cherry compote and blueberry flavors, picking up suave floral pastille and spice nuances with air. Shows excellent clarity and power on the finish, which features deftly integrated tannins and a seductive spicecake quality. - Josh Raynolds"
- Vinous (September 2013), 93 pts
"The more modern styled 2007 Hiru 3 Racimos is purple/black in color. It has a reticent perfume of wood smoke, pencil lead, mineral, lavender, black cherry, and blackberry leading to a still tightly wound, large-scaled but well-balanced wine in need of 5-7 years of cellaring. Drink it from 2015 to 2027."
- Rober Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #189, June 2010), 92 pts
"This polished red offers expressive flavors of dried cherry, cigar box, orange peel and black tea, with well-integrated tannins and bright acidity. Racy but focused. Drink now through 2019.—T.M"
- Wine Spectator (October 15th 2014), 91 pts
"Bold flavors of black cherry, cranberry, toast and mineral are expressive yet harmonious in this firm, fresh red. It shows concentration, yet remains lively. Drink now through 2015. 40 cases imported. –TM"
- Wine Spectator (Web Only 2009), 91 pts
"Ripe fruit and smoky oak mingle seamlessly in this rich, thick red. The plum and morello flavors are ripe yet lively, balanced by chocolate and toasty notes, supported by firm, well-integrated tannins that melt into a sweet, floral finish. Delicious, in the international style. Drink now through 2020. 60 cases imported. –TM"
- Wine Spectator (September 30th 2008), 94 pts
"A red cherry-velvet wine, this is bold and rich with smooth tannins that manage to keep the structure firm. It's finely crafted in a modern Rioja style, accessible now with grilled lamb and balanced for several years of age."
Wine & Spirits Magazine (December 2009), 92 pts
Bodegas Luis Cañas is one of Rioja Alavesa’s oldest family-owned wineries. The history starts with Carlos Cañas, who sold his wines in bulk, transporting them by mule and cart throughout ...
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