The wines of Finca Allende, Rioja, Spain

Finca Allende represents the new face of Spanish wine. You thought Rioja was all about ‘traditional’ wines that were under-macerated and aged for a long time in old American oak? Think again: the way things are developing (and for the better) is that winegrowers are going back to the vineyard. They are producing wines with good concentration, phenolic ripeness, and are tending towards shorter stays in mostly French oak.

Allende is based in the up-coming Rioja village of Briones in the Rioja Alta. As well as a base for Allende, it’s now also home to Dinastía Vivanco’s Museum of the Culture of Wine, which has been described as ‘sensational’ in the press, and another top ‘new wave’ producer, Miguel Merino. ‘The wine village of Briones is the undiscovered jewel of Rioja’, says Charles Metcalfe in a piece in Wine International last year. Praise indeed.

Wines were first produced under the Allende label in 1986, although it wasn’t until 1995 that their winery was built. Then, in 1999 Allende bought an eighteenth century, which is the current company’s head office. Miguel Angel de Gregorio is the guy responsible for winemaking, and owns the estate together with his sister Mercedes. His day job used to be with Bodegas Bretón, from 1989 until 1997.

As well as using grapes from their own 22 hectares, they also buy in some from local growers. In all, they use grapes from 92 different parcels, and the way they are going is to try to understand the characteristics of the vineyards, respecting the origins of the wine. Finca Allende comes from vines averaging 35 years old while Calvario is a single vineyard that’s 60 years old. Top wine is Aurus, which I didn’t try here.

Finca Allende Blanco 2002 Rioja
This is quite an unusual white wine, but I like it. The open herby nose leads to a palate that’s soft, nutty and open with a creamy texture. Very good+ 88/100
(£13.95 Berry Bros & Rudd)

Finca Allende 2000 Rioja Spain
There’s a slightly minerally edge to the fresh, crushed red fruits nose which is really appealing. The palate is savoury with lots of fresh, bright fruit. Nice density. It’s very pure, fruity and expressive. A delicious modern-styled Rioja. Very good/excellent 92/100
(£13.95 Berry Bros & Rudd)

Finca Allende Calvario 2002 Rioja, Spain
Very dark coloured. There are vivid, intense bright fruits on the nose which is delightfully pure. The palate is concentrated and full, dense and savoury, with great depth of fruit. It’s red rather than black fruits that dominate, with a deliciously smooth structure. A fantastic wine. Very good/excellent 94/100 (£49.95 Berry Bros & Rudd)

See also: the wines of Spain
Wines tasted 05/05
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