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Valenciso Rioja Reserva 2019 Magnum
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- TASTING NOTE: “The latest in a fine run of Reservas from Luis Valentín and Carmen Enciso, this well-priced Tempranillo combines components from Briones, Gimileo, Haro, Ollauri, Rodezno and Villalba. Youthful, structured and vigorous, it's a compact, serious, age-worthy red that manages to sidestep the heat of the vintage. Inky and profound with dark plum and blackberry fruit and a balsamic undertone.” 94 Points - Tim Atkin MW, 2024 Rioja Special Report
- ABOUT THE WINE: From a selection of handpicked Tempranillo from the clay/limestone soils around Ollauri, the grapes are drawn from 17 organically managed plots spread across the villages of Villalba, Gimileo, Rodezno, Briones and Haro, all within a five-kilometre radius of the winery. Part of what has been proposed as the Western Sonsierra zone (by Alberto Gil and Antonio Remesal Villar in Rioja: Vinos Silenciosos), these venerable sites lie at the heart of Rioja’s grower-producer genesis in the late 19th century. Key to the quality includes the patrimony of old-vine Tempranillo (no less than 60 years old in this cuvée) and excellent limestone calcário soils at altitudes up to 600 metres. In the right hands, these historic terroirs imbue their wines with aromatic intensity and great structure for longevity. The wine ferments naturally in concrete vats before aging for 18 months in (mostly) low-toast Radoux French oak barriques. 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 is transferred back to cool 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 it before bottling. “We seek wines with aromatic volume, wines that shine not out of weight but of perfume,” explains Luis Valentín. Bibendum
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ABOUT THE PRODUCER: The estate's story was established in the late 1990s when Rioja Alta natives Luis Valentín (Valen) and Carmen Enciso (ciso) left outstanding careers at Rioja icon Bodegas Palacio. The vineyards and cellar are in the far north of Rioja Alta, in the village of Ollauri, four kilometres from Haro. Ollauri’s Atlantic-influenced vineyards are noted for their excellent limestone soils and altitudes of up to 610 metres. As well as Ollauri, the domaine farms vines in nearby villages Briones, Haro, Rodezno, Gimileo, Zarratón and Villalba, all with calcareous soils at altitudes from 480 to over 600 metres. Vine age is significant; the average is about 30 years, rising to 60 for the Reserva and up to 100 years for Rioja Blanco. Sustainably farmed from the mid-2000s, the estate has worked organically since 2017. Bibendum
- COUNTRY: Spain
- REGION: Rioja Alta
- VARIETAL: Tempranillo
- WINE STYLE: Red Wine
- WINEMAKER: Luis Valentín & Carmen Enciso
- CLASSIFICATION: Minimal Intervention, Sustainable Farming
- CLOSURE: Cork
- ABV%: 14.5%
- SIZE: 750ml
