Woodman Wines & Spirits presents a new wave Rioja at Vintages…
If there’s a style that wines from Rioja are known for it’s often that they’re mostly Tempranillo with lots of American oak. There has, however, been a move towards a more terroir-driven style, with winemakers interested in expressing the character of their vineyards and fruit rather than mostly oak.
An exceptional example of this new style is the 2016 Palacios Remondo La Montesa. It’s mostly Garnacha (Grenache), and the winemaker, Alvaro Palacios, eschews American oak in favour of French. The result is a much more floral, subtle, and elegant character than one usually expects from Rioja.
Grown on the Palacios Remondo estate, the wine is named after a hillside vineyard located on the northeastern slope of the Yerga mountain in eastern Rioja. Palacios describes the wine as ‘flowing wide in the mouth and possessing the wild strength of the mountain from which the wine hails.’
“It has engaging lily and rose petal aromas, succulent red berry fruit, subtle oak integration and the acidity that the best Garnachas preserve in the Rioja Oriental. Hugely drinkable.” Drink date: 2019-2025. Score – 94. (Tim Atkin, MW, timatkin.com, Rioja Special Report 2018)
“It has all the rosemary, thyme and aromatic plants in the Monte Yerga in Alfaro. It has a note of incense. It’s super juicy Garnacha with citrus freshness. It’s incredible to have this quality at this price… A steal!” Score – 93 (Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate)
Find the 2016 Palacios Remondo ‘La Montesa’ $25.95 in stores or buy online. We’ll also deliver 12-bottles or more to your home or office.
We’re sure you’ll find this progressively-styled Rioja not only delicious and approachable, but also a great match for a wide variety of cold-weather “comfort” foods.
Woodman Wines & Spirits is a Good Food Fighter. Please support the businesses and organizations that support Good Food Revolution.
