Bodega Lanzaga Corriente 2021

Corriente was born in Rioja Alavesa, in the north of the Rioja appellation, in the Basque lands of Álava. The Tempranillo, Graciano and Garnacha vines rise in tiers between 480 and 650 metres above sea level, on limestone soils and deep marls. Protected by the Sierra de Cantabria, this cool, bright sector yields ripe grapes that keep lovely acidity, in the service of fine, easy-drinking village wines.

The grapes come from a selection of plots in the best villages of the region, harvested and then carefully fermented to respect the expression of each terroir. The wine is then aged for ten to twelve months in barrels and large oak vats of different ages, a measured ageing that rounds out the texture without masking the fruit.

This wine reveals notes of black cherry, blackberry, plum, ripe strawberry, liquorice, black pepper, cedar, damp earth. The fruit, nicely ripe, dominates a frank, gourmand nose. On the palate, the wine offers lovely acidity, very good depth and rounded tannins, through to a fresh, savoury 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.