La Rioja wines are famous for their deep red color and fruity aroma. They are generally made with the Tempranillo grape, however, in this wine-growing territory there are many other jewels that you are surely unaware of.
In this selection we propose 7 wines that are more radical and that at first glance do not seem to belong to this denomination due to their variety of grapes and flavor, but that at the same time represent the typical characteristics of their origin. Try them and be surprised!
The name of this unique wine honors Laguardia, in the Rioja Alavesa. After fermentation, it was kept with the skins for 17 days. Its stay in concrete tanks will give it special characteristics and from there it will go to oak barrels for 10 months for aging. On the nose it is an explosion of red and black fruits, plum, licorice, menthol herbs and spicy notes. Fresh fruit crunches in the mouth and is long on the finish. It is a success and a more daring version of a classic Riojan winery.
Particular white wine and somewhat greenish in color. It is a Viura worked with its lees, unfiltered and without added sulfur. Ripe white fruit, notes of pastry and citrus are its main descriptors in aromas. In the mouth it is very creamy, complex and has good acidity in the mid palate, with a mineral finish. Its fermentation and aging of six months was in cement tanks.
The grapes for the production of this particular white wine come from the El Convento vineyard. It ferments in porcelain eggs and is kept with its skins for 8 months, which will give it those very particular characteristics. The citrus fruit, quince, lavender, balsamic and earthy notes are very remarkable. In the mouth it is very spacious and tasty, where its acidity would also stand out.
This wine surprises as a whole and would be a good asset for lovers of the Graciano grape variety. It is a wine that captivates with its freshness, complexity, balanced tannins and great aromatic expressiveness. The aromas of fresh red and black fruit stand out, as well as violets, currants and, above all, the mineral notes on the finish.
This white wine, whose vineyard is located in Leza, expresses itself as very sweet and fruity. It is made from Malvasía Riojana and is fermented and aged for one year in an ovoid concrete tank. Its color is somewhat golden and very floral, aromas of white apple, citrus, jasmine, sweet spices and notes of honey stand out. Its mouth is wide, with good acidity and persistent in its end.
This winery is located in La Rioja Alta and its hundred-year-old vineyards, classified as Viñedo Singular, are cultivated organically and its wines are produced by hand. It is a white with very particular characteristics, by the hand of Berta Valgañón. A time with the skins and its stay in the barrel with the lees and its months of aging, make it a wine full of aromatic nuances, where notes of mushrooms, pippin apple, spices and stone fruit stand out. The palate is wide, fresh and with an earthy finish.
The vineyards are sustainable and come from Gimileo. A very pleasant and special wine thanks to the fact that it ferments and rests for nine months with the skins. Its pale orange color already indicates the style, increasingly in vogue and gastronomic. It offers citrus fruits such as grapefruit, apricot, aromatic and floral herbs. In the mouth it is tasty and fresh on the palate, with a slightly bitter finish and a salty sensation.
