Bodegas Amaren, Blanco Barrel Fermented 2019 Bodegas Amaren

Get to know: Bodegas Amaren, Blanco Barrel Fermented

Tasting Note

You really get a sense of the vineyard with this delicous white Rioja blend of Viura, Malvasia and Tempranillo Blanco. On the nose you can really pick up on some chalky, minerally notes reflecting the soil that blend perfectly with nutty, rich notes and additional complexity thanks to the wood fermentation. Tremendously fresh thanks to the energetic acidity the fruit has which continues on the palate with stone fruit with citrus notes and tropical flavours. It’s wrapped up in an enveloping unctuous mouthfeel that shows the labour- intensive stirring of the lees. Finally it has a very long finish with saline hints that leave you wanting more.

Pair this with roasted or grilled fish with roasted vegetables.

Kate Says

“This white Rioja keeps the barrel-fermenting tradition of the region, but the intensity of the fruit from old, high-altitude vineyards gives this a modern intensity and concentration that makes it really delicious.”

Producer Info

Jon Cañas (Luis Cañas’ grandson) is the imaginative winemaker behind Bodegas Amaren.

Jon has been granted free rein to explore the character of Alavesa’s vineyards, giving us a raw, modern interpretation of Rioja Alavesa. Bodegas Amaren is comprised of some of best and highest altitude vineyards around the villages of Samaniego and Leza, where the soil is poor and gnarly vines, ageing up to and over 100 years old, produces small bunches, perfect for making highly concentrated Rioja wines.

The fruit for this wine is manually harvested. Grapes are selected on a double sorting table (first clusters and then berries). Only intact berries are selected. The wine is aged in a combination of mostly new French oak barrels and concrete for an additional 10 months with regular battonage.