Valenciso Rioja Reserva, Rioja Alta, Spain, 2019

Grape: 100% Tempranillo, limestone/clay soil, sustainable farming (in conversion to organic), fermented in concrete vats, bottled unfined, extended oak ageing

Producer Tasting Note:

Savoury aromas alongside lifted, perfumed notes of violet and blackberry. This wine shows all the elegance of the variety - tight and concentrated with spice, fine tannins, great complexity and purity.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"Ripe, racy aromas of dark plums, cherries, dark earth, walnut husks, dark mushrooms and graphite. Restrained and rather understated in style, with a medium body evenly packed with juicy fruit and fine-grained tannins. Firm and pretty long in the finish. Drink or hold."

93/100 points, James Suckling, January 2025

Also awarded 93/100 points, Decanter Magazine, March 2025, and 94/100 points, Tim Atkin MW, January 2024

Winemaking: Harvested in October - the winery follow sustainable viticulture and are moving towards organic practice. Aged for 17 months in French oak barrels, less than 3 years old; one third of which are renewed annually.

Estate: Valenciso was established in 1998 as a collaboration between ex Bodegas Palacios’ Luis Valentin and Carmen Enciso. With a wealth of experience in Rioja wine production, they decided to focus on just one style of wine - a classically structured, subtle and elegantly fine Reserva. A fine white and rosé are also produced along with a red wine called "Cemento" entirely produced in (cement) tanks.

Food Match: Red meats, strong cheeses, game pie