Alegre Valganon, Tinto, Rioja, Spain, 2021

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Overview The Wine
A decade or so ago, Traditional Rioja seemed to be on the verge of extinction, beaten into submission by the “International” winemaking trend that has swept the region for more than thirty years.

But, today, Traditional Rioja is making a strong comeback, as connoisseurs come to realize that the sumptuous CUNE Viña Reals and Lopez Tondonias and Bosconias from the 1940s to the 1970s are among the planet’s greatest wine treasures. And the recent rise to stardom of the relatively young, but staunchly traditional, Hermanos Peciña, offers compelling evidence of the world’s growing love affair with Rioja as it was once made.

Yet, it’s often forgotten that what we know as “Traditional Rioja” is less than 150 years old, having been created in the wake of Phylloxera in the late 1800s. Before that, an earlier tradition flourished that featured viticulture and winemaking on a far smaller scale, allowing vine-by-vine attention to fruit quality, and the inclusion of stems during fermentation and shorter time in larger barrels.

Since 2014, the husband-wife team of Oscar Alegre and Eva Valgañón have embraced this even more ancient tradition. By working strictly with tiny lots, they are turning out head-spinning reds and whites that capture the best of their beloved land’s 1,000+ year history. And, their wines informed by this ancestral wisdom, are offering something unique in today’s Rioja landscape.

Grape/Blend
Tempranillo

Origin
Rioja, Spain

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The Tempranillo vines are small plot bush pruned vines in the Monte Obarenes zone of Rioja Alta. That is blended with a touch of Garnacha from Cardenas zone. The Garnacha from Cardenas is the "secret" to the elegance and fame of Vina Real.

93 Points - Wine Advocate
The 2021 Tinto, produced with 75% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% white grapes, is serious and austere, produced with grapes from cooler parts of Rioja to achieve freshness and aging potential without having to resource to very long aging in barrel (this was in barrels and foudres of different ages and sizes for some 16 months). It opened up with time in the glass to a medium to full-bodied palate with very fine tannins and a clean, long and tasty, almost salty finish. It's a wine that transcends its price. 25,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2023.

91 Points - Tim Atkin
This enjoyable, well-priced red is Tempranillo based, with lesser percentages of Garnacha and some field-blended white grapes. Delicate and perfumed, with almost Pinot Noir-like in terms of weight and structure, with pomegranate and wild strawberry fruit and caressing tannins. 2023-26

90 Points - Vinous
The 2021 Tinto is a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% Viura sourced from Rioja. Aged for 16 months in French barrels and Slovenian foudres, this garnet wine offers floral notes of violet and geranium, accompanied by hints of pink peppercorn and black fruits. Dry and chalky on the palate, it lingers with a faintly rough texture.

Product size: 750ml