Garnacha was the predominant variety in Rioja Baja until no more than 30 years ago. Arizcuren sologarnacha aims to highlight the virtues of this variety in a specific location, the northern slopes of the Sierra de Yerga, and their suitability for cultivation. To this end, it works with some of the few old vineyards that still remain, seeking, on the one hand, a representative wine and, on the other, to highlight the combination of a variety, a training system (goblet), and an area, the aforementioned Sierra de Yerga. In this way, perhaps, the process of “desertification” of the historic Garnacha vineyards that once existed in this area can be reversed.

The production process follows the principle of minimal intervention, seeking to respect the variety and its place of origin. For this reason, no exogenous products are used (except for a minimal amount of sulfur) and traditional aging in wood is replaced by a clay jar that allows the essence of the variety to remain intact.

The wine obtained after passing through the jar is much rounder and more finished than those aged in wooden barrels, reflecting the purest expression of the variety. With this wine, I have the opportunity to carry out a very educational project to raise awareness of the characteristics of the variety, with the aim of promoting it within the DO to counteract the trend towards reducing the area under cultivation by uprooting existing historic vineyards.

Tasting Notes