Telmo Rodriguez Corriente Rioja 2023

Telmo Rodriguez Corriente Rioja

Region: Rioja, Spain

Vintage: 2023

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Garnacha, Graciano, Tempranillo

ABV: 14%

A deep cherry-red hue, clean and luminous in the glass. The nose is pure and expressive, offering ripe blackberry, cherry, and raspberry aromas, lifted by hints of dried herbs and a touch of pepper. On the palate, it’s fresh and concentrated, with fine-grained tannins and a lively core of red berry fruit. A subtle spiciness adds depth, leading to a smooth, persistent finish. Balanced and easy to enjoy, it’s a versatile wine that shines both on its own and with food.

`Corriente` (common, everyday) Rioja is made with a blend of organic certified estate grapes and locally purchased fruit from growers that farm traditionally around the Lanciego and Vinaspre villages, in the Rioja Alavesa area. The bush trained vines grow at elevations ranging from 480 to 650 meters above sea level with various orientations on two main soil types. On the flat sandstone plateaus the vines grow on shallow, low fertility stony, calcareous and silty textured soils which inhibit vigour and concentrate the flavours, adding mineral notes. The soils on the gentle slopes are moderately deep, with less stone, a higher marl content and very fine texture which prolongs the ripening and adds freshness to the finished wine.

The grapes were hand-picked and transported in small boxes to the winery where most of the fruit was destemmed. The three varieties were co-fermented with indigenous yeasts in 65 to 85 hectolitre cement tanks. The wine was then matured for 10-12 months in a combination of foudres and barriques of different ages and origins. The wine was fined and lightly filtered before bottling.

Visionary winemaker Telmo Rodríguez has had a huge influence on the world of Spanish wine and can be credited with planting the seeds of the Spanish ‘New Wave’. For over thirty years, Telmo and his partner, Pablo Eguzkiza, have been on a winemaking odyssey to rediscover and revive Spain’s lost vinous heritage. In championing the country’s forgotten wine regions, lost traditions and near-extinct grape varieties, they have breathed life into Spain's winemaking culture and have invigorated a new generation of producers. As Telmo says "the future is in the past."