La Cantera vineyard, where our single-varietal, SoloMazuelo, comes from, was planted by Javier’s grandfather Justo Casado, just over 30 years ago on a 1-hectare plot that is ideal for this variety. Its sandy clay soils with lots of pebbles are perfect for controlling its characteristic vigor and fertility. Its location on a plateau is protected by kermes oak shrubs, except to the north, which exposes it to prevailing winds. This exposure, particularly to the northerly Cierzo wind, combined with the vines’ moderate vigor, creates an excellent natural defence against powdery mildew (a fungal disease that this variety is very susceptible to).

The Mazuelo grape (also known as cariñena, or carignan in other regions) holds a vital role in Rioja wine-making heritage, valued for adding longevity to many of its great wines. At La Cantera, it is planted in bush vines, at an altitude of over 550m, in clay soil with abundant pebbles and low fertility. Our viticultural approach on this plot focuses on producing high quality grapes; we maintain low yields of around 4,000 kg/ha and use basal leaf removal on the northeast side to achieve optimal sun exposure and ripening of skin and seeds, whilst avoiding excessive heat and overripeness. In production, we’ve focused on respecting the wine's natural character by keeping additives and interventions to a minimum. Finally, to achieve the purest possible expression of this variety, we’ve used amphorae aging, which produces a much rounder and more refined result than ageing in wooden barrels.

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