Description

Valenciso started in 1998. The vineyards and cellar are located in Rioja Alta, Spain. The cornerstone of the estate is mature, low yielding vineyards. Valenciso is all about aromatic complexity, much like Burgundy or Riojas of the past. Ageing for the reserve takes place in French oak barriques to further enhance this elegant nature of the wines.

This wine was bottled in 2017. Like Vega Sicilia it spends extend time in concrete and oak. They only pick amazing parcels of fruit. This is a wine that will make an impression.

“A classical wine like the red from Valenciso is meant to age, so for a few years now, they have released small quantities of a red bottled ten years after its harvest. It’s now the turn for the 2007 Reserva 10 Años Después, which follows the 2005. They selected a cuvée from an exceptional 75-year-old vineyard in the north of Haro for long aging in concrete and Russian oak barrels, nine years in total. It’s elegant, polished, subtle and developed, with perfectly integrated oak offering faint spices and smoke, with very nice fruit, clean and bright. The palate is super sleek with a polished texture and refined tannins. Silky and smooth, a pleasure to drink. 4,000 bottles were filled in January 2017.” 93+ points, Luis Gutiérrez, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

D.O Rioja

A large and varied region and Spain’s quality flagship. Sub-regions Alta and Alavesa are the high altitude cooler parts that show elegant and almost Burgundian Tempranillo wines. Baja is the low hot lands sub region where Garnacha (Grenache) becomes more important. Producer is the most important determiner of quality as producers range from traditional savoury wines to modern silky, pure wines. The whites can be neutral and simple through to pretty and silky affairs.

Tempranillo

Top quality grape grown all over the Peninsula (with many pseudonyms). There is many faces to Tempranillo. A wine maker can use it for Rosado or Joven (released after 6 months) all the way up to Gran Reserva (60 months in the winery). But there is also the amazing ability to age. The very best examples are said to compare to Burgundy. Look for flavours of cherry and cola, it has moderate to low acid,  moderate tannin and the naturally high pH allows for a silky mouthfeel that is not seen in other red wines.

Gran Reserva

Red wines aged for a minimum of 60 months, to include at least 18 months in oak. White and rosé wines aged for 48 months, to include 6 months on wood.