Palacios Remondo Quiñón de Valmira 2022

Quiñón de Valmira is a unique plot in Rioja Oriental, on the slopes of Monte Yerga, in the Ebro Valley. This Grenache vineyard, planted on high hillsides, enjoys a Mediterranean climate tempered by altitude and by the winds that sweep down from the neighbouring mountains. The vines, around thirty years old on average, yield grapes of great finesse, regarded as one of the finest expressions of Grenache in Rioja.

Winemaking relies on a long maceration, with a proportion of whole bunches, and fermentation in large oak vessels. The wine is then aged for around 17 months in large oak vats (foudres), then rests a further 6 months in concrete tanks before bottling, to refine its texture and preserve the purity of the fruit.

This wine reveals notes of red fruits, rose petal, rosemary, lavender, grapefruit zest, white pepper, pomegranate and strawberry. The floral, fresh bouquet is nuanced with aromatic herbs and citrus. The palate, dry and juicy, offers a stony, chalky texture, fine, silky tannins, perfectly integrated oak and a long, vibrant finish.

The history of wine in Spain is so ancient that no one really knows who first brought the vines to the region. By the time the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was already well established, and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a winemaking miracle. After years on the sidelines of the world of fine wines, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often high in alcohol), and spicy reds that are gaining popularity with international consumers. Proud to have more land dedicated to vines than any other country, Spain is only now beginning to capitalize on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is a chaotic jumble of regions and subregions, much like its landscape is a chaotic jumble of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity among Spain's many wine regions, from the lush, green vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the parched vineyards of the southeastern Mediterranean. Spain's saving grace for viticulture is the average altitude of its vineyards, which is over 600 meters. Many Spanish vineyards are thus able to produce grapes with good color and acidity simply because nighttime temperatures are relatively low and the grapes don't ripen until after a sufficiently long growing season. But there is a real treasure trove to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all sorts of ambitious investors have done their part to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun to craft spectacular wines and experiment with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable not so long ago. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.