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Tasting notes
An excellent vintage in Rioja, and the promise of Yjar is delivering a totally knockout wine here. Impossible not to smile when tasting this, so much energy and precision, savoury, mouthwatering redcurrant, cranberry, blueberry fruits, with waves of dried herbs, lavender, and crushed rose petals. Juicy, moreish, building in power across the palate. Tasted at the estate and again in Bordeaux. Telmo Rodriguez winemaker of this 3.8ha plot set within his family Remelluri estate in the foothills of the Sierra de Toloño in Rioja Alavesa. Harvest October 14 to 24, fermentation with native yeasts, open top wooden vats.
Critic scores
Average Score
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
More reviews and scores
A fabulous Yjar on the Place this year. Fragrant nose, roses and peony flowers, Chinese five spice, cinnamon and exotic spices. Great clarity and focus, juicy and fleshy with a great mouthfeel. A modern take on Rioja but so well defined and delineated. Lovely poised structure, definitely powerful but funnelled into a long finish. Beautiful in all the senses - calm, collected, detailed, easy to drink with plenty of interest and power. I love it. Telmo Rodriguez winemaker.
Crushed dark berries are complemented by violets and underbrush with a gentle touch of tobacco. The sophisticated palate shows exceptional definition and polished tannins that are seamlessly integrated into a core of vibrant, restrained fruit. It’s all held together by a linear freshness characteristic of the vintage. This wine has depth, persistence and an incredibly stylish profile. Firm yet with an underlying tenderness. Beautiful now but will continue to evolve. Drink or hold.
The 2021 Yjar comes from 3.8 hectares of old vines in Remelluri, Labastida. Comprising Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and others, it aged for about 30 months in foudres and barrels. Classical in style, it features undergrowth, cotton candy, cherry and herbal notes, framed by subtle touches of oak. Broad, juicy and textural, with fine tannins and a gentle balsamic finish, this is a nuanced, refined Rioja that marries tradition with the profound character of the Sonsierra.
About the producer
In 1994, Telmo Rodríguez and Pablo Eguzkiza made their first wine together. This was the beginning of Compañía de Vinos Telmo Rodríguez, their joint project that looks to uncover the “real” Spain, working with old vineyards and indigenous varieties to recover the nation’s vinous heritage.