Valenciso Rioja Cemento 2020

Valenciso Rioja Cemento is a Rioja fermented and raised entirely in concrete, with no barrel ageing at all.

Valenciso's vineyards and cellar sit in Ollauri, a small village in the far north of Rioja Alta, four kilometres from Haro and within what has been proposed as the Western Sonsierra zone. The ground here is rich in limestone, the vineyards run up to 600 metres, and the climate is Atlantic-influenced, a combination that gives the local Tempranillo both depth and finesse. The vines are farmed organically. Concrete has become the estate's signature: vats of this kind were a mainstay in Rioja until the 1980s, when stainless steel and barrel maturation displaced them, and Luis Valentín and Carmen Enciso have brought them back for the gentler extraction of fruit and colour they allow. Every Valenciso wine spends some of its élevage in concrete, but this bottling, as the name says, is fermented and raised in concrete alone. It is 100% Tempranillo from old-vine plots on the limestone hillsides of Haro and Ollauri.

Open now or keep for five to eight years, with grilled pork, lentil stew or charcuterie. Serve at 16–18°C.

*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.