Bodegas Exopto Rioja El Espinal 2017

A single-site red from Exopto, named for the plot it comes from rather than for a Rioja ageing category.

Rioja is normally sold by time in barrel — crianza, reserva, gran reserva — so a wine named after one vineyard signals a different intent. Tom Puyaubert trained in Bordeaux, came to Rioja working for a barrel maker and started Exopto in 2003; he works from a cellar at Laguardia across about 22 hectares held in more than thirty separate plots, chiefly at Ábalos and San Vicente de la Sonsierra at the foot of the Sierra de Cantabria, with a handful in the Monte Yerga foothills to the south. Most of the vines are bush-trained and over sixty years old on rocky, limestone-rich soils, farmed organically and biodynamically with horses used for ploughing. Tempranillo leads the blend, with Garnacha for flesh and Graciano for acidity and a dark, savoury edge; ageing is in French rather than American oak, Puyaubert preferring spice to vanilla.

Give it time in the glass now, or cellar for the best part of a decade. Serve at 16-18°C with roast lamb, grilled ribeye or aged Manchego.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.