2021 Quinon de Valmira
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Tasting notes
I was eager to taste the 2021 Quiñón de Valmira, which I had tasted as a very young sample one year before it was bottled. It was very promising then, and 2021 is revealing itself as one of the finest vintages in recent years in Rioja. It has a floral and perfumed nose, with high-pitched raspberry and violet notes, a hint of exotic spices (curry) and has a savory feeling to it. It has terrific balance, very fine tannins, perfect ripeness and harmony, combining elegance and power while feeling light on its feet. Another superb showing of Valmira, which states on the label the Viñedo Singular moniker. It's 85% Garnacha and 15% other traditional varieties, with 14% a pH of 3.46 and 5.5 grams of acidity. It was fermented in oak vat and matured in oak foudre for 12 months. 4,497 bottles produced. It was bottled the February 17, 2023.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
85% Garnacha from a 30-year-old vineyard on a gently sloping hillside at 616 m elevation on alluvial clay-limestone. Storm Filomena was a challenge in 2021, dumping 50 cm of snow and 449 mm of rain on the region. Destemmed, spontaneous fermentation. The wine undergoes spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels and is aged in large foudres and smaller barrels for approximately 18 months. Medium ruby. Very perfumed and nuanced. Dried flowers, potpourri, a hint of dried lemons and baking spices. Wow! This wine has all: intensity, definition, charm, harmony. Tannins are beautifully integrated. It has a very persistent finish and a lovely salty minerality. (FG)
The 2021 Quiñón De Valmira is a single-vineyard wine composed of 85% Garnacha and 15% other red varieties. Situated at 615 meters above sea level on the edge of the native forest, the Quiñón De Valmira vineyard, located in Monte Yerga, Rioja Oriental, stands out as one of the most esteemed in the region. The 2021 vintage was carefully aged for 12 months in foudres to preserve its integrity and prevent oxidation. Exhibiting a purple hue, the wine's reductive and subtly herbal nose reveals hints of Worcestershire sauce, complemented by balsamic and garrigue -like notes. On the palate, it delivers a dry and chalky texture with a taut and refreshing core, culminating in a cleansing, complex finish. Nimble and silky, this is a delicate and precise expression of Rioja Garnacha, masterfully interpreted by Alvaro Palacios.
85% Garnacha. Aged 12 months in foudre. Pale purple colour. Raspberry coulis, wonderful lifted scent. Pepper and red bell pepper on the nose – that's a flavour I can't remember tasting before, and it gives distinctive personality to the wine. Full body with high acid. Elegant in a fuller-bodied mould. (RH)