Valenciso Rioja Reserva 2019 (6 Bottles) Rioja, Spain

As always, Valenciso’s flagship Reserva is a selection of handpicked Tempranillo from the clay/limestone soils around Haro. The grapes are from 18 plots including Villalba, Rodezno, Briones and Ollauri. Part of what has been proposed as the Western Sonsierra zone (by Alberto Gil and Antonio Remesal Villar in their compelling new volume–Rioja: Vinos Silenciosos), Ollauri’s vineyards are noted for their excellent calcário soils, altitudes of up to 600 meters and Atlantic-influenced climate.All the vines are managed organically and cropped at well below the regional limits. The youngest vines that make the grade here are 60 years old!

The Reserva naturally fermented in cement vats and the wine was then aged for 19 months in (mostly) low-toast Radoux French oak barriques (roughly 20%). In recent vintages, 10% of the wine has also been raised in low-toast Caucasus oak, further lessening the wine’s already minimal wood influence. Following aging in barrel, the wine was transferred back to concrete vats to settle for a further 24 months before release. Luis and Carmen find the wine clarifies so well in concrete that there is no need to fine or filter the wine before bottling.

“Cooler vintages like 2014 are ideally suited to the Valenciso style, which always has one eye on longevity and bottle age. This refined Tempranillo comes from vineyards in Briones, Haro, Ollauri, Rodezno and Villalba and has an appealing combination of structure, depth and minerality, with fine 20% new oak integration and layers of bramble, raspberry and black cherry fruit.” 95 points, Tim Atkin, 2020 Rioja Special Report

“I tasted again the red 2014 Reserva, which seems to have integrated in bottle since I tasted it some 16 months ago. It’s a lighter expression of Valenciso that is developing more complex aromas, and the acidity and tannins are slowly being resolved. They say it’s the most modern among the classics and the most classic among modern Reservas. I agree. 110,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in the spring of 2019” 93 points. Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate