Alegre Y Valganon Masterclass 2024
Husband-and-wife, Oscar Alegre and Eva Valgañon fashion exquisite, wonderful
value wines, according to their personal, place-specific and
historically-informed philosophies. Their wines are at odds with everything many
would know or expect from so-called "Rioja wines". In the Alegre y Valgañon
world, the spurious place language of Rioja Alta-etcetera has no place; nor the
soulless industrialism of Reserva-Gran Reservas; nor even the ubiquitious
French-derivative 225L barrica.
In place of these, we get, well, place.
Place, thought and beauty.
Their intention is to make gentle, natural
wines expressing the earth and air in their sector of Rioja, which is a bundle
of micro-municipalities near the tiny town of Sajazarra. This is the
north-western corner of la Rioja, under Montes Obarenes - a sub-section of the
broader Sierra Cantabria.
Oscar and Eva also work in the lee of
Rioja's southern range, the massive Sierra de la Demanda (which, as part of the
Sistema Iberica, separates Rioja from its high altitude neighbour to the south,
Ribera del Duero). 45kms south-east of Sajazarra is the Najerilla valley, home
to the village of Cárdenas. This is a beautiful part of southern Rioja: its
cold, poor, pale clay soils russet with ferrous components are perfect for
Garnacha. Here is also the historical home of blending Garnacha with Viura to
make Claretes: 'clar' or clear wines, red-flavoured but with the mouthfeel of
properly elaborated white wine tannin.
They interpret a full spectrum of Riojas from their zone of interest:
varietal Tempranillo and Garnacha, blends of both, (some fashioned, some in
natural field blends); sandstone, limestone, chalk, white and red clays;
regional, village and special vineyard wines.
Against this trend, Oscar
and Eva take a village approach to making Rioja wines. They work 25
hectares in organics, making their own bio-preps, in the cold, poor soils in a
handful of small pueblos in the foothills of the Montes Obarenes in Rioja's
remote north-west. All their work is done in historical parcelas, discrete
little vineyards cobbled around the pueblos of the Obarenes sub-zone, the Valle
de Rio Tiron Alta. The vineyards are at around 600 metres altitude, and the
limestone/sandstone soils here are chalkier than the marls in Riojan villages
flanking the shores of Rio Ebro further east. This is hilly country, with lots
of stone in cold soil, producing light and fluid wines with excellent acid
structure.
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Alegre Valganon 'La Bahierra' Rioja 2020The wine that stole the show this time is the 2020 Bahierra. It's from a single vineyard that they have worked organically for the past four years (but not certified) with some very old Garnacha and Viura on five terraces and some 35-year-old Tempranillo. It had a 15-month élevage in used 225- and 500-liter barrels and expresses the freshness of the place in Sajazarra. This vintage feels different, with red cherries and a touch of orange peel, more elegant and more Pinot Noir if you allow me. This is really a clarete with 60% red grapes and 40% white, fermented and aged like a red. The palate is vibrant and effervescent with acidity and acid berry flavors, ultra fine tannins and a long, supple and dry finish. Superb! Unfortunately, they had hail and had to sort to produce only 316 bottles. It was bottled in January 2022. It should age well. LUIS GUTIERREZ, The Wine Advocate
Located in the tiny pueblo of Villaseca, on the municipal footprint of Fonzaleche, Baherra is just north of Sajazarra, and features cold stony limey soil. It's a tiny 0.45 hectare field blend vineyard, planted 100 years ago to roughly 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 10% Viura and other unknown cultivars. Total yield is 1-1.5 tonnes (harvested in October).
Simply, the taste of a place. Tree and vine, wood and leaves, sky and earth. Brilliant, bright, savoury, lactic-electric fruit, centred and radiating. Floral, detailed, deep, fresh. Wonderful.2020tempranilloSpain472$205.00 As low as $184.50