A NEW TEMPRANILLO GENERATION
The morning was gray, cold, and windy--Not the image of Rioja I had in my mind. Dan and I pulled up a muddy driveway in our sub-compact hatchback (Dan called it a rollerskate with seats); the building was emblazoned with the winery name, so we knew we were in the right spot. Sure enough, a youthful, smiling Israel Eguíluz greeted us with impeccable English.
“Perhaps we should go for a look at the vineyards,” he suggested.
Israel took us for a short drive to the edge of the village of Ábalos. Here, walking among 80+ year old vineyards of Tempranillo and Garnacha, Israel explained, with his measured and deliberate speech, what makes his part of Rioja so special.
Now, I’ve tasted plenty of Rioja. A classic region, known for big tempranillo-based wines, with well-known producers like Lopez de Heredia, Muga, and La Rioja Alta. I had also heard that things were changing in the region--Young winemakers breaking the mold, and Rioja becoming less monolithic, less stuffy, more nuanced, more exciting. Israel seemed to be the embodiment of that change.
Rioja, as we know it, came to prominence after phylloxera devastated the vineyards in France. The British, looking for alternatives, caused the region to boom. Modeled on the rich, oak-aged Bordeaux the British were used to, the wines were generally satisfactory, but on the whole homogeneous.
But Rioja is a complex place; essentially the valley of the Ebro River, wedged between two mountain ranges, the massive Sistema Iberico to the south and the Sierra Cantabrica to the North. There is only one Denominación de Origen, or appellation— Rioja—but within that appellation are three sub-regions: Occidental, Oriental, and the smallest and most distinctive, Alavesa.
This was Israel's Rioja--the small district of Alavesa, in the northwest of Rioja, straddling the border of Navarre and the Basque Country, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Cantabrica Mountains. At 600 meters, it matches the elevation of the wineries we work with in Alto-Adige, and is responsible for what makes the wines from Alavesa so dramatically different from the rest of Rioja.
Israel, trained as an industrial engineer, explained all of this to us with patience and detail. And then, we got to taste the freshness and vibrancy of his wines.
Out of the cold and back to the winery, Israel poured us through his wines as he explained how he began working with his father, and his vision for the future of the region. I’d say his vision is very well articulated based on the impressive wine he was pouring for us— They changed my mind, and Dan’s, about what Rioja is.
Look, I've got loads more to say about Israel Eguiluz, his land and the bonkers vineyards that he has the good fortune to work with, not to mention the wines. So stay tuned! Today, I’m starting where Israel started: Bodegas Eguíluz Rioja Joven. This one got our attention right away--I knew we had a winner, and I’m thrilled that we can finally offer it to you.
• BODEGAS EGUILUZ RIOJA JOVEN 2024 •
Joven means "young"-- wines not aged in oak and released shortly after the vintage. These fresh, fruity wines are tailor-made for quaffing in the tapas bars of Logroño, but in Alavesa, unlike other parts of the DO, winemakers employ carbonic maceration (a technique commonly used in Beaujolais) where whole clusters of grapes ferment in concrete tanks, enhancing fruity qualities, and adding energy and levity.
This is the flagship wine for Bodegas Eguíluz, and as Dan and I hopped from door to door on Logroño's famous Calle Laurel (one of the world's great eating destinations), we kept on seeing this bottle on the bar. The locals clearly knew what was worth drinking.
This blend of 90% tempranillo and 10% garnacha is bursting with primary fruit— plum, dark cherry— and has a pleasant grip of tannin and spice from the whole cluster fermentation. The finish is fresh and mineral-laden. A beautiful, juicy, and energizing red for everyday enjoyment.
–––––––––––––––
Israel says of his wines, “I want to put the vineyard directly into the bottle,” perfectly capturing how he embodies the vitality and dynamism found in the region today.
I’ve been fascinated by this region since I first walked through here on the Camino de Santiago, 15 years ago (almost to the day!), and I'm thrilled to finally be bringing you wines from one of the region's small, family-run wineries.