2022 Valenciso Cemento, Rioja

The unoaked red 2022 Cemento is pure Tempranillo. It fermented with uncrushed grapes and selected yeasts in concrete, where it matured until bottling. It's juicy and fruit-driven, quite straightforward. It has good ripeness, 14% alcohol and a mellow palate, reflecting the warmer and drier year with a pH of 3.9 and 4.62 grams of acidity. 18,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2025.

91 points Luis Gutiérrez for The Wine Advocate

Valenciso was founded in 1998 by Luis Valentín and Carmen Enciso, two Rioja veterans determined to create elegant, contemporary wines rooted firmly in Rioja Alta. Cemento takes that philosophy in a particularly fascinating direction. Rather than relying on oak, the wine is raised in concrete, allowing Tempranillo’s fruit, savoury detail and the freshness of its high-altitude Rioja vineyards to take centre stage.

The 2022 vintage brought warm, dry conditions to Rioja, making vineyard selection and freshness particularly important. Concrete maturation is beautifully suited to the year: it allows the wine to develop and settle without adding oak flavour, preserving juicy fruit and giving the palate a wonderfully pure, tactile quality. This is Rioja stripped back to fruit, earth and terroir rather than vanilla and toast.

Deep ruby with violet edges, the nose opens with black cherry, raspberry and ripe plum, followed by violet, liquorice and dried thyme. With air come black olive, graphite, orange peel and a touch of warm earth. The palate is juicy and energetic, with dark cherry and plum wrapped in fine, chalky tannins. There’s a lovely savoury streak through the middle, finishing with red fruit, herbs, liquorice and a cool mineral snap.

This begs for lamb cutlets grilled over charcoal, chorizo with roasted peppers, pork ribs rubbed with smoked paprika, mushroom croquetas or patatas bravas with plenty of aioli. My pick is the lamb — charred edges, rosemary, garlic and juicy Tempranillo is the sort of combination that makes conversation temporarily unnecessary.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2034.