1996 Bodegas Remelluri Granja Nuestra Senora de Remelluri Rioja Reserva DOCa

Producer Notes

Remelluri was a pioneering winery, bringing the French concept of chateau to the D.O, making wine from grapes grown exclusively on the estate which now consists of 154 ha. Located in Labastida in an old monastery it is considered one of the oldest estates in Spain. When Telmo Rodriguez’s family took over the estate he describes it as “like living in the Middle Ages”, a rural experience that lead them to find old lagares in which to ferment the wines, directly in the stone land. Slowly but surely the Garnacha vines are being changed from trellis grown to bush vines in an attempt to bring back the traditional Riojan way of farming. Since 2010 the wines are certified as organic. Rather than placing the focus on the exact blends each vintage (which can be very complicated with field blends), Telmo focuses on bringing out the terroir of the region. He also makes two wines are made from grapes grown in the neighbouring villages to reflect their village identity and difference from the estate: Labastida and San Vicente de la Sonsierra. In the winery each plot is fermented separately, native yeasts are used and the wines experience very little filtering and fining. And good news for people who prefer a more sublte style of Rioja: very little new oak is used.