Bodegas Amaren, El Cristo de Samaniego Rioja Alavesa 2018 Bodegas Amaren

Get to know: Bodegas Amaren, El Cristo de Samaniego Rioja Alavesa 2018

Tasting Note

This wine is from a singular vineyard in Samaniego at the foothills of Sierra Cantabria al 625m altitude. The fine elegant and complex nose with delicate rose petal aromas gives way to excellent concentration of cherry, blackberry, liquorice, walnut, cloves and subtle touches of creamy oak as well as hints of roasted coffee and minerals. This is full bodied, fleshy and elegant with plenty of complexity and power. It has the tangy acidity of it’s cool climate location and a real sense of the personality. 

Try this with roast lamb, cured cheeses or a warming stew.

Kate Says

“We’ve always loved Luis Cañas wines, so when we discovered his grandsons Amaren project, we were very interested to find out more. Well, the wines from his modern and imaginative approach are as stunning as you’d expect.”

Producer Info

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.

Jon Cañas (Luis Cañas’ grandson) is the imaginative winemaker behind Bodegas Amaren and he has free rein to explore the character of Alavesa’s vineyards, giving us a raw, modern interpretation of Rioja Alavesa. 

They practice “à la carte” viticulture, which means that each vine is treated according to its own needs (variety, phenological stage and weather conditions).

The vineyard is more than 40 years old was one of the first in the area to be planted at more than 600 meters above sea level. The higer altitude, along with the cold climate and strong winds and the peculiar plantation of white varietals in the lower part and its proximity to the forest, prints its wild, unique character.

Amaren are also herbicide-free and use respectful tillage with the biodiversity of the environment, to get the perfect development of varietal aromas from their grapes. Hence the result of a fresh and intense wine, with a lively acidity and a great aging capacity.