2018 Valenciso Rioja Reserva Magnum 1.5L, Rioja

The last cold vintage we had” is how Luis Valentin describes 2018, a vintage that saw 600mm of rain. This Rioja Alta Tempranillo from the area around Haro is suitably fresh, refined and focused, showing graceful tannins, chalky minerality and flavours of bramble and clementine. 2025-37.

95 points Tim Atkin 2023 Rioja Report

The 2018 from magnum is one of the most exciting young Reservas we have tasted from Valenciso. At this stage, Luís Valentín prefers the more concentrated wine from the low yielding 2017 vintage, but we loved this year’s blend of seamless red fruit, elegant, noble tannin and a spotlessly fresh finish. It drinks well right now, with appropriate food, but Valentín believes greatness will come with ten years in the cellar.

As always, this is handpicked Tempranillo from the clay/limestone soils around Haro. The grapes come from 17 plots, including Villalba, Rodezno, Briones and Ollauri, all managed under strict culture raisonnée guidelines and cropped at well below the regional limits. The youngest vines that make the grade here are 60 years old! The Reserva naturally ferments in cement vats and the wine is then aged for 19 months in mostly low-toast Radoux, French oak barriques (roughly one-third new). In recent vintages 10% of the wine has been raised in low-toast Caucasus oak, further lessening the wine’s (already minimal) oak impact. Following aging in barrel, the wine was transferred back to concrete vats to settle for a further 24 months before release. Luis and Carmen find the wine clarifies so well in concrete that there is no need to fine or filter the wine before bottling. With a modern-classical profile combining freshness, elegance and depth, this is an outstanding, multi-layered and complex release from Valenciso. All class.