I was introduced to this wine by David Sampedro Gil, the winemaker behind DSG Vineyards, a relatively new project looking to make a range of wines from some of Spain’s…
Remirez de Ganuza, a top Rioja property, shows that modern can be good
Regular readers will know that a winery that employs solely 100% new oak (with 20% American), and selects as far as taking the tips off grape bunches (these are less…
A classic Rioja from Vina Tondonia
One of Rioja’s most traditional producers is López de Heredia Viña Tondonia. These wines are remarkable: they are made in a very traditional, somewhat oxidative style, but they always seem to…
Baron de Ley’s Graciano and Maturana
Following on from my recent report of new varieties in Rioja, I was pleased to see that Tesco are now stocking two wines from Rioja producer Baron de Ley’s new…
New varieties in Rioja
I’m currently in the process of writing up a series based on a visit to Rioja. The latest instalment involves Valdemar, who are doing some interesting work with new varieties…
Fonseca 1970, Delamain 1914, Vin de Constance 1988 and other treats
Had a very enjoyable dinner last night at the offices of Mentzendorff, a major high-end UK agency house. It was more fun than work, but I took some notes on the…
Video: harvest in Rioja
Here’s a short film from my recent Rioja trip. It looks at the harvest at a couple of wineries. There’s a contrast between Finca Allende receiving their Graciano, and La…
Rioja, day 3: at last, a vineyard, and a spectacular barrel hall
Sadly, it was the last day in Rioja. Just one visit: LAN. I’d really enjoyed the previous two days, but up till now we hadn’t been shown a single vineyard….
Logroño tapas crawl
So it was off to Calle Laurel for the compulsory tapas bar crawl last night. It was Tuesday, so it wasn’t terribly busy, but there was enough of a buzz…