Arizcuren Solomazuelo 2018

Making a first wine based exclusively on grapes of the Mazuelo variety in Rioja speaks of courage and respect for tradition. Javier Arizcuren, its creator, comes from a family of winegrowers in the Rioja Oriental, although his profession is that of an architect. His own genes and permanent contact with winery architectural projects led him, after studying viticulture and oenology, to produce, back in 2009, a small amount of wine on the ground floor of his family residence. In 2011 he took the reins of the family farm and decided to bet firmly on one of the historic varieties of Rioja: the mazuelo. Said grape, despite its enormous virtues (acidity, color, tannins, etc.) is rarely exclusively vinified in the region, as it is much easier to use it to round up blends. Javier, however, opted to show it in its essence, under the baton of wild yeasts and with the respectful contribution of large-volume barrels, creating a wine with which very few can compare. Freshness and depth in a glass that is dressed in cherry and adorned with black plums and cherries, while it is perfumed with suggestive aromas of laurel and stones. On the palate it lets you feel the tannins and lively acidity of the variety, but a center of ripe fruit serves as a cushion for such sensations. Very well integrated wood that is felt especially in the roasted tones of its finish and in the elegant dryness that remains after the last sip. It is preserved in an extraordinary state of shape despite its vintage and still promises several years of excellence. Cloves, cocoa and black currants have just chiseled a nose of enviable complexity that is, in itself, a tribute to the historic Riojan grapes.