Arizuren, 2021 Solo Mazuelo, Rioja. ($60 per bottle, 6-pack)

$361.20 / 6-bottle case - SAVE $54.00

TA94: “Made with grapes from the same parcels as the Ánfora Mazuelo, but aged in a combination of older 500-litre barrels and concrete, this also shows the cooler growing conditions of the 2021 vintage. Sturdy and built to age in bottle, it has grippy tannins, lots of wild herb aromas, blackberry, redcurrant and gentle oak spice flavours and a focused, well-balanced finish. 2024-30

About the producer

Javier Arizcuren, architect and winemaker, hails from the town of Quel, in Rioja Oriental. Here his family has cared for vineyards on the slopes of the Sierra de Yerga since at least the end of the 19^th century. Old vineyards, between 30 and 120 years old, and at altitudes of between 530 and 800 meters, are planted in the traditional local varieties; Garnacha, Mazuelo (Cariñena) and Viura, and some ‘lost’ ones like Calagraño, Tinta Velasco and Miguel de Arco.

 His first vintage was in 2016. Javier’s main goal is restoring and re-introducing the heritage of Rioja Baja (now Rioja Oriental) as well as the heritage of bush-vine training in the region. As Javier explains, the region uprooted a lot of Garnacha for Tempranillo and started planting in the lower, hotter Ebro valley. This way, the sub-zone gained a reputation for being the warmest, yet the slopes of the Monte Yerga are some of the coolest in all of Rioja. The region lost its identity, which Javier is desperate to restore. Wines are produced in a ‘garage’ winery in the town of Logroño, which doubles as a wineshop/tasting room (“Taller de Arizcuren Vinos”), which is a must-visit if you are in town