2024 Bodegas Exopto Rioja Horizonte de Exopto Blanco Field Blend, Rioja

From high altitude parcels in Rioja Alavesa, this white field blend captures a snapshot of old vineyard diversity and the revival of traditional mixed plantings. Horizonte de Exopto Blanco is drawn from historic bush vines where white varieties grow side by side, harvested and fermented together as they would have been generations ago. Bodegas Exopto focuses on expressing altitude, limestone soils and raw vineyard character rather than polishing the wine into anonymity. The result is a Rioja blanco that feels both ancient and modern, textured, savoury and deeply site driven.

These vineyards sit on poor, chalky soils that naturally limit yields and concentrate flavour. Cool nights preserve acidity while the high elevation slows ripening, giving aromatic clarity and tension. The winemaking is gentle and respectful, allowing natural texture and phenolic grip to remain, building a white that behaves more like a serious table wine than a simple aromatic style.

In the glass it shows pale gold with green flashes. Aromas are layered and complex, opening with pear, quince and preserved lemon, followed by chamomile, fennel, almond skin and a subtle smoky mineral note. There is a savoury herbal edge that speaks of the mixed vineyard origin, giving complexity beyond a single variety expression.

The palate is medium bodied and textural, with orchard fruit, citrus peel and a lightly waxy feel carried by bright acidity. A gentle phenolic grip adds structure and length, while a saline, chalky finish reinforces the limestone terroir. The wine feels broad yet focused, balancing generosity with tension and savoury detail.

It shines with food. Think grilled fish, shellfish, roast chicken, pork, paella, vegetable dishes with olive oil, aged cheeses and Mediterranean flavours. Drinking beautifully now for its texture and layered character, it will also cellar comfortably for five to eight years, developing nutty, honeyed and savoury complexity.

This is Rioja blanco as a living tradition, a wine that celebrates old vines, mixed plantings and the idea that complexity can come from diversity rather than uniformity.