Vinicola Real and Finca Valpiedra were our destinations for Friday and both delivered different interpretations of the Rioja story.
Ranked as a 1st Growth by Tim Atkin MW, Vinicola Real is better known by its brand 200 Monges – 200 Monks. The winery was set up in 1992 when Miguel Angel Rodriguez started digging into the hillside in the town of Abelde de Iregua close to the site of an historic monastery that housed 200 monks.
Despite being a relatively new winery, the estate has developed a stellar reputation for the high quality and ageing abilities of its wines.
Jessica hosted our visit with her customary enthusiasm and, as a history graduate, brought a depth of knowledge to the visit outside of the usual commentary on tanks, barrels and racking. The tasting was exceptional. Hosted by Export Manager Miriam, we discovered at first hand the style, intensity and balance of the wines with Reservas and Grand Reservas going back to 2012 and 2007.
From 200 Monges, we headed north back past Logrono towards Fuenmayor towards the impressive Finca Valpiedra. Built at a similar time as Vinicola Real, Finca Valpiedra is part of the Martinez Bujanda family wine estates with wineries in a number of different parts of Spain. We were expertly hosted by Leticia Villegas, the sister of Trinidad at Bodegas Lan. Leticia covered a lot of detail in a wonderfully succinct manner – not only highlighting the philosophy of the estate but covering a lot of ground on the Rioja wine laws and production techniques.
The tasting showed yet another side to Rioja – Finca Valpiedra has a modern approach and this shows through in the wines with vibrant fruit and harmonious oak.
Highlights included the 2010 Reserva Finca Valpiedra, 2012 Reserva White Rioja and a gorgeous 100% Garnacha. And then it was time for lunch……
Concluding para