Alegre Valganon, Blanco, Rioja, Spain, 2019

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Overview The Wine

Since 2014, the husband-wife team of Oscar Alegre and Eva Valgañón have embraced this.Many of Oscar and Eva’s family vineyards lie just to the west of Haro, in the shadow of the Obarenes Mountains. This area has long been revered by producers for the freshness and persistence they provided in blends. In fact, one old-timer claimed that the esteemed early Viña Reals were usually a blend of 75% Obarenes Tempranillo, with up to 25% Garnacha from Cárdenas. Having vineyards in both villages, Oscar and Eva’s are able to work with similar proportions for their signature tinto.  

 

Because Oscar and Eva’s quest was to develop a wine that’s a product of their land, they chose to minimize the effect of wood. To this end, they started their project with a mix of used French barriques and demi-muids. Because French wood loses its flavoring ability much faster than does American oak, they’ve been able to minimize the flavor impact of the wood. And as the project develops, they hope to adopt longer aging and even bigger neutral barrels. (Importer)

 

Grape/Blend
90% Viura and 10% Garnacha Blanca.

Origin
Rioja, Spain

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
This is made from 90% Viura and 10% Garnacha from the town of Galbarruri, just at the base of the Obarenes mountains. All work is done by hand without herbacides or fertilizers. The intact bunches are pressed slowly, and the wines are aged in used French demi-muid for over a year. The debut release already shows a heady mix of precocious fruit coupled with a muscular mouthfeel and terrific length. Fennel and licorice aromas, some waxy apples and a white pepper twist. The palate is serious and austere, very tasty, polished and velvety. 

93 Points - Time Atkin

93 Points - Ian Blackburn
Absolutely fantastic - Viura is rich and round, exotic, powerful and yet tender.  This is one of my favorite white wines on the planet - few know about its promise.  Join me as we celebrate and elevate this wine at our STARS of White wine series (May 2021).  Oxidative wine making, promoting the golden tone of this concentrated effort, brings about a crazy sense of balance... earth, fruits, oak, presented as only Rioja can and makes this an amazing options with all levels of cuisine from all ends of the world.  Bone dry with an authentic finish typical to the muscular and high impact wines of RIOJA. 

Product size: 750ml