Valenciso’s flagship Reserva is a selection of handpicked Tempranillo from the clay/limestone soils around Haro. The grapes are drawn from 29 plots spread across the villages of Villalba, Rodezno, Briones, Haro and Ollauri. They all lie within a five-kilometre radius of the winery.
Part of what has been proposed as the Western Sonsierra zone (by Alberto Gil and Antonio Remesal Villar in Rioja: Vinos Silenciosos), Ollauri’s vineyards are noted for their excellent calcáreo soils, altitudes of up to 600 meters and Atlantic-influenced climate. All the vines are managed organically and cropped well below the regional limits. The youngest vines that make the grade here are 60 years old.
The Reserva fermented naturally in cement vats, and the wine then aged for 19 months in (mostly) low-toast Radoux French oak barriques. In recent vintages, 10% of the wine has also been raised in low-toast Caucasus oak, further lessening the wine’s already minimal wood influence. Following ageing in barrel, the wine was transferred back to concrete vats to settle for a further 24 months before release. Luis and Carmen find the wine clarifies so well in concrete that there is no need to fine or filter it before bottling.
The 2018 from magnum is one of the most exciting young Reservas we have tasted from Valenciso. At this stage, Luís Valentín prefers the more concentrated wine from the low yielding 2017 vintage, but we loved this year’s blend of seamless red fruit, elegant, noble tannin and a spotlessly fresh finish. It drinks well right now, with appropriate food, but Valentín believes greatness will come with ten years in the cellar.