Bodega Lanzaga Tabuérniga 2022

La Tabuérniga is a small, steep and isolated valley in Labastida, in Rioja Alavesa, in the Basque province of Álava. Entirely covered with terraced vines, it has been cultivated for more than 1,300 years. The Tempranillo, Graciano and Garnacha vines grow there between 540 and 630 metres above sea level, on limestone soils and marls, a mountainous terroir with austere minerality.

The grapes are fermented in a 3,000-litre truncated-cone vat, then the wine is aged for sixteen months in 1,200-litre oak vats. This choice of large vessels preserves the purity of the fruit and the tension of the terroir, for a cuvée produced in just a few thousand bottles.

This wine reveals notes of cherry, blackberry, redcurrant, violet, warm stone, incense, graphite, liquorice. The deep ruby colour with purple glints heralds a pure, vertical nose, reserved at first. The palate is sleek, carried by an austere mineral backbone, fine, elongated tannins and a long finish that prolongs the purity of the fruit.

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.