Everyone has that moment when they think, wow, this was a real game-changer. For me, it was October 27, 2023, the day I met a legend in the wine world. But, like with most big moments, you only realize the impact later. So, what’s the story? I got an invite from Jan Jaap Altenburg at the wine bar Vindict in Amsterdam to join a Masterclass called The New Sounds of Rioja. Since I’m a huge fan of Rioja wines, I was excited to learn more about these new trends. We got an explanation, tasting, workshop, or rather, a full-on masterclass from winemaker Carmen Perez Garrigues of winery Villota, located in Rioja Alavesa. Thanks again for the invite, Jan Jaap!
Wat is dit nieuwe geluid van Rioja?
Dit is een eenvoudige maar lastige vraag. Het makkelijke antwoord voor mij is dat het nieuwe geluid van Rioja-wijnen draait om meer frisheid, toegankelijke complexiteit, minder overheersend hout en een heleboel elegantie.
The tougher answer is that the new sound of Rioja is about breaking away from traditional Rioja wine regulations. It’s not just about following the rules; it’s about making wine more enjoyable. You have to feel the terroir, the old vines, the region’s history, and the elegance that Rioja’s different grape varieties offer. It’s also about creating new regulations that fit these new kinds of wines, like the Viñedo Singular. These are single-vineyard wines with lots of rules to preserve the history of the old vines they’re made from. But there are more rules, and we’ll chat about those later. The new sound is also about innovation and experimentation. That is why Carmen experiments every year with a new blend in some wines. But it is all about the terroir. As Carmen says, it’s about soil expression; show it in the different wines.
Wat is er zo uniek aan de wijngaarden van Villota?
In 2013, the Pérez Villota family started their own artisanal winery, bringing along their beautiful old vineyards. They keep it small, only working with grapes they grow on their single estate. Their vineyards are perfectly located in Rioja Alavesa, right by the Ebro River. Insiders even call this spot the ‘Côte d’Or’ of Rioja, known for grand cru-worthy wines. All these cool factors combine to make truly stunning wines that showcase the terroir. The vineyards are planted with traditional Rioja grape varieties, mainly Tempranillo, along with red grapes like Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuela, and white varieties like Viura, White Garnacha, and Tempranillo. Over half of the vines are more than 35 years old, and Carmen’s team cares for them passionately. They use a minimal-intervention approach, supporting nature with minimal interference. No herbicides are used.
Op deze manier krijgen ze buitengewone druiven en Viña del Lentisco maakt er een fantastische reeks klassieke, indrukwekkende en verfijnde Rioja-wijnen van. Dit wijnhuis zal alleen maar beter worden en ik kan niet wachten om te zien waar de familie nu weer mee komt!
Wie zit er achter deze wijn?
Viña del Lentisco is the winery’s name, and Villota is the name of the wines. In the village of Laserna in Rioja Alavesa, right by a bend of the Ebro River, the Pérez Villota family has been making history for four generations. It all started with Ricardo Pérez Pérez, a Rioja native who bought the estate after returning from Chile in 1930. His son, Ricardo Pérez Calvet, an agricultural engineer, took over and began restoring the old vineyards, making wine for personal use. In 1973, Ricardo Pérez Calvet and his son, Ricardo Pérez Villota, teamed up with CVNE, which was already supplying many grapes. The Pérez Villota family managed the vineyards while Cvne, a big player in the industry, handled sales and distribution. This successful partnership gave birth to the famous Viñedos del Contino. After working together for four decades, CVNE bought the entire Contino estate.
Ricardo Pérez Villota en zijn dochter Carmen, beiden landbouwingenieur, behielden natuurlijk hun wijngaarden, een waardevolle erfenis. In 2013 startten ze Viña del Lentisco en begonnen ze met de productie van wijnen onder het merk Villota. Met vier generaties ervaring en een diep begrip van hun uitzonderlijke terroir in het beste deel van Rioja, blinken ze uit in hun vak.
Persoonlijke proefnotities van de Masterclass
We had five flights of wines to compare and get a feel for the new sounds of Rioja. Carmen introduced all the wines, sharing the history of the vineyards, vines, and production methods. Jan Jaap was so pumped about these wines that he couldn’t stand still. After tasting them, I totally get why he was so excited!
Vlucht 1:
Viña del Lentisco Rioja Villota Selvanevada Blanco 2021
Druiven: 94% Viura - 6% Witte Garnacha
Carmen calls this her “entry-level” wine, but I was blown away. It’s creamy, round, and elegant, with a crisp, sublime acidity that’s super fruity. It’s a serious yet approachable wine, nicely balanced with loads of apple, pear, lemon zest, lime, peach, and a hint of wet stone. It’s full-bodied with a fresh, crisp, edgy vibe. I love it, and this was only the start.
Viña del Lentisco Rioja Villota Selvanevada Blanco 2022
Druiven: 94% Viura - 6% Witte Garnacha
Dezelfde wijn, dezelfde blend, ander jaar, en wow, deze is frisser, levendiger en fruitiger. De zuurgraad is gemiddeld en zacht in de mond. Hij is mooi in balans met rode en groene appel, peer, citroenschil, limoen, perzik en een vleugje natte steen. Volle smaak met een elegante afdronk. Je kunt echt het verschil zien tussen de jaren. In de fles helpt, maar wow, dit is een wijn die je altijd in je kelder wilt hebben. Je keuze zal iedereen versteld doen staan.
Vlucht 2:
Viña del Lentisco Rioja Villota Selección Blanco 2019
Druif: Viura
Made from the first selection of grapes, this wine is a relaxed, chill blend of aromas and flavors with some complexity. It’s got elegant, warm, fruity vanilla vibes, rich red-apple notes, medium-crisp acidity, and a long finish. It’s a step up from the last one, but you can still sense its unique identity and terroir.
Viña del Lentisco Rioja Villota Selección Blanco 2018
Druif: Viura
Another year, another round of bottle aging, and as always, the conditions were unique. This wine is packed with a warm, ripe apple, a hint of white pepper, eucalyptus, vanilla, wet stone, flinty notes, creamy texture, a touch of toast, and acacia. It’s got medium acidity and a long finish, and it’s super gentle and elegant—the perfect companion.
Vlucht 3:
Rioja Villota Rosado 2022
This is a seriously awesome medium salmon reddish rosé wine. rosé complex, earthy, fruity, and flinty, and brings joy. It is packed with raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, black currants, roses, violas, rosemary, sour red berries, and red and black cherries. It has medium (+) acidity and is low in tannins, but it has a structure and a rich, ripe strawberry flavor wrapped in a herbal, spicy finish.
Viña del Lentisco Rioja Villota Selvanevada Tinto 2021
Druiven: Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha en Mazuelo
This ruby red wine is packed with red cherries and fresh strawberries. It’s got a bit of clay and earthiness, sitting somewhere between a serious, hefty red Rioja and a fresh, approachable, friendly wine. With medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins, it has a long finish that makes you want another sip to explore it further.
Vlucht 4:
Here, the wines are made entirely from a single grape variety, a monocépage.
Rioja Villota Garnacha 2021
Rijk rood fruit, zoals aardbeien, frambozen en bramen, met zachte, medium (+) zuren en zeer toegankelijke medium tannines.
Rioja Villota Graciano 2021
Een neus vol cacao en rijk rood fruit treft je meteen. De zuurgraad is middelmatig hoog en de tannines zijn ook middelmatig. Hij voelt aan als de taaiere broer van de Garnacha.
Rioja Villota Mazuelo 2021
Dit is de elegante moeder van de vorige wijnen, met medium (+) zuren en medium (+) tannines, met veel elegantie, kracht en energie. Er zijn tonnen rood fruit, maar een beetje terughoudend. Laat hem opwarmen in je glas en de lucht doet zijn werk - de zuren en tannines worden gladder, waardoor hij nog eleganter wordt. Dit is mijn favoriet van het trio. Ik kan niet wachten om deze wijnen over een paar jaar te proberen, nadat ze wat meer gerijpt hebben in de fles.
Vlucht 5:
Oké, nu gaan we naar de grote finale, en dit zagen we niet aankomen. Van perfecte balans tot een wijn uit één wijngaard met speciale regels, wow! Wie wist dat het nog beter kon!
Viña del Lentisco Rioja Villota Tinto 2020
Druiven: Tempranillo, Graciano en Garnacha
This is like heaven for your nose—smooth, fruity, with hints of red cherries and vanilla. The balance is just perfect! Wow! It’s a great mix of fresh and ripe red fruit, vanilla, wood, and nutmeg. The acidity and tannins are medium but super smooth and easy to love. It’s like you can smell and taste the previous wines; focus, and you’ll notice the individual grapes! It chills out in 500-liter concrete tanks to unwind, and you can totally feel that in the wine.
Viña del Lentisco Rioja Villota Viñedo Singular Viña Gena 2018
Druiven: 100% Tempranillo
If you think it couldn’t get better, well, this is the one you’ve been waiting for, the real pièce de résistance. This single-vineyard wine comes from plots over 35 years old, all of a single variety. Yes, there’s even a regulation for this called Viñedo Singular, and you can spot it on the special back label sticker. There are more rules to it, but that’s a story for another time. This is the big one! It’s the result of innovation, experimenting, and embracing your heritage, the old vineyards. This Viña Gena, named after Carmen’s grandmother, is fresh, vibrant, lively, elegant, spicy, fruity, and flinty. It has an awesome balance in both aroma and taste. You’ll find a mix of fresh and ripe red fruits: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, plum, black currant, blueberries, along with notes of vanilla, nutmeg, wood, acacia, rosemary, bay leaf, cacao, and chocolate. It has medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins that are already perfectly balanced. But as ASI sommelier Jan Jaap told us, give it a few years in the bottle, and it will only get better. I even asked him if that’s really possible, and he confirmed it, so I might keep a bottle to test it out. If you want something truly special, go for the Viña Gena, put it in a decanter, let it breathe, and enjoy.
Voor mij is dit het echte nieuwe geluid van Rioja!
Conclusie
The masterclass on the new sounds of Rioja was an eye-opening experience that showcased the evolution and innovation within the region’s wine industry. Villota Winery stands out with its commitment to quality, minimal intervention, and respect for tradition, resulting in fresh and elegant wines. Each wine we tasted highlighted the unique terroir and dedication of the Pérez Villota family. If you are passionate about wine and eager to explore the new trends in Rioja, Villota Winery should be at the top of your list. Carmen is such an inspiring person, and she is also helping other winemakers to develop. I am excited to see what the future holds for this remarkable winery and look forward to experiencing more of their exceptional creations.
Nogmaals bedankt, Jan Jaap, voor de uitnodiging, en Carmen, voor het delen van je fantastische verhalen. Ga naar wijnbar Vindict in Amsterdam, drink een glas Villota, of haal een fles Villota in je favoriete wijnwinkel als je niet naar de wijnbar in Amsterdam kunt gaan.
Meer informatie over Villota: https://www.vinovillota.com
Meer informatie over Vindict Winebar in Amsterdam: https://wijnbarvindict.nl/
