Valenciso Rioja Reserva 2016

Valenciso Rioja Reserva is the estate's flagship, drawn from seventeen old-vine plots within five kilometres of the cellar.

Valenciso is based at Ollauri in the far north of Rioja Alta, in the limestone country around Haro that has been proposed as the Western Sonsierra zone: calcareous soils, altitudes up to 600 metres and a marked Atlantic influence. The Reserva is handpicked Tempranillo from clay and limestone plots in the villages of Villalba, Rodezno, Briones and Ollauri, all farmed organically and cropped well below the regional limits, with the youngest vines that make the selection already 60 years old. Fermentation is natural and takes place in concrete vats. The wine is then aged for eighteen months in mostly low-toast Radoux French barriques, with about 10% raised in low-toast Caucasian oak, which lightens the wood influence further. It returns to concrete for another 24 months to settle before release, and clarifies so cleanly there that it is bottled without fining or filtration.

Ready to drink and capable of a decade or more in bottle; try it with roast lamb, duck or a mature cheese. 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.