100 kilometers of diversity according to four prestigious Masters of Wine, Tim Atkin, Pedro Ballesteros, Sarah Jane Evans and Andreas Kubach told their impressions about Rioja and tasted some Rioja wines at Prowine Germany.

 

 

“The northern most part  of Rioja is the origin of some of the DOCa’s more exquisite terroir wines”

 

The renowned Master of Wine Andreas Kubach amazed the audience by transmitting the particular beauty of Rioja Alavesa. Kubach pointed out how in this area of the DOCa the natural presence merges with innovative architecture, among which historical wineries also stand out.

 

 

In addition, Kubach focused on the Sonsierra area, the northernmost part of the Denomination, origin of some of the finest wines with the greatest terroir of the DOCa, and toured some of the most famous towns in this area, arguing how their different personalities are influenced by their relative proximity to the Sierra Cantabria and the Ebro river.

 

In the words of the Master of Wine: “This area is characterized by its high altitude, its limestone soils and the abundance of small plots of old vines, which result in wines with a distinctive freshness, deep fruit complexity and muscular but very fine tannins. and calcareous”.

 

 

The wines tasted during the Andreas Kubach MW seminar:

• Bodegas Tierra, La Abuela Visi 2021: This is an intriguing white wine from a historic vineyard planted in 1920. It demonstrates how the old vines of Rioja Alavesa can produce beautifully complex, elegant and long-lasting whites.
• Bodega Bideona, V1BN4 (Villabuena) 2020: made from seven historical plots of Tempranillo and other varieties in a field blend, it shows the complexity of multi-layered plum and blueberry always seen in Villabuena.
• Ukan Winery, Ukan 2019: a great example of contemporary wine made by the new generations of well-established families of winemakers in Rioja. The wine achieves a great balance between retaining the expression of its Laguardia terroir and the personality that aging in small barrels gives it.
• Bodegas Ostatu, Laderas de Ostatu 2017: The surprising elegance and freshness, despite the full body and great concentration, as well as the perfect integration of oak and silky texture, made it another impressive example of what the best terroirs of the Sonsierra have to offer.