Name: Miguel Merino Rioja Blanco 2023 750ml
Brand: Miguel Merino
SKU: 1007822
Price: 40.94 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 95 (2 reviews)

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Winery

Miguel Merino

Shop all from Miguel Merino

Country

Spain

Ever since the Phoenicians and Romans brought their knowledge of vine cultivation to Spanish soils, the country's culture has grown alongside wine production, with wine being a vital part of Spanish identity and Spanish traditions. Each region of Spain has a wine quite distinct from the others, and it is produced by smallholders and families as much as it is by large companies and established wineries. From the relatively mild and lush regions of La Rioja to the arid plateaus that surround Madrid, grapes are grown in abundance for the now booming Spanish wine industry, and new laws and regulations have recently been put in place to keep the country's standards high. By combining traditional practices with modern technology, Spanish wineries are continuing to produce distinctive wines of great character, flavor and aroma, with the focus shifting in recent decades to quality over quantity.

Region

La Rioja

La Rioja is by far the most famous wine region of Spain, and remains one of the world's great wine producing regions, consistently offering deep, complex red wines of character and distinction, partly due to the fact that La Rioja benefits from excellent soils, rich in minerals and nutrients, and plenty of sunshine. The climatic conditions allow the fine grape varietals to reach full ripeness and express plenty of the best features of their terroir, making La Rioja wines some of the most interesting to have ever come out of Europe. The Cantabrian mountains to the north provide the perfect shelter from the colder, wetter influences of the Atlantic oceans, and in the beloved vineyards of La Rioja, wineries have been cultivating exceedingly flavorful Tempranillo grapes for generations for the inclusion in their fine single variety and blended wines.

Appellation

Rioja

Rioja, a renowned wine appellation in Spain, stands as an emblem of the country's winemaking heritage and innovation. What makes Rioja unique is its commitment to blending traditional and modern winemaking methods. Primarily crafted from Tempranillo, with Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo as supporting players, Rioja wines showcase a remarkable balance of fruit, oak, and complex aging. Rioja's classification system, featuring Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva, delineates the aging periods, highlighting the region's dedication to quality. The use of American oak barrels imparts distinctive vanilla and coconut notes, contributing to Rioja's recognizable profile. The diverse terroir, from the high-altitude vineyards of Rioja Alta to the warmer Rioja Baja, adds depth and complexity to the wines. Exploring Rioja allows enthusiasts to savor the rich tapestry of Spanish winemaking, where historic bodegas coexist with modern practices, resulting in wines that seamlessly marry tradition and innovation, offering a glimpse into the soul of Spanish viticulture.

DC 96pts

Decanter

This wine presents wonderful purity – of varieties and vineyard – with direct, precise lemon and salinity, as well as white floral notes. It offers racy acidity and a citrus pithiness, finishing with stone-fruit freshness and a wet-stone character. It's layered, refreshing and deliciously morish.

WA 94pts

Wine Advocate

The only wine not from 2022 this time was the 2023 Blanco, the only white he makes with Garnacha Blanca, planted at the top of La Loma vineyard in 1946, and Viura, taken from different old vineyards where it's interplanted with the red; and in 2023, he also purchased two plots on red sandy soils in the paraje of Los Mártires. The two varieties were picked and fermented separately in 500-liter oak barrels, where the wines matured with lees for 10 months. He looks for acidity, freshness and minerality, and the oak has to play a secondary role. This year it's more Viura, 70%, and the rest Garnacha Blanca, and the wine reached 13.5% alcohol, achieving his goal, with a pH of 3.2 and 6.9 grams of acidity. It has a floral and fruit-driven nose, very clean with subtle herbs and spices. It's elegant and fresh, precise and tasty, long and with potential to improve in bottle. 4,231 bottles were filled in September 2024.

Winery Notes

Merino Blanco comes from La Loma, a 1.4 hectare vineyard planted in 1946 with Tempranillo, Garnacha, and a bit of Garnacha Blanca (with scattered vines of Calargrano, Moscatel, Rojal...). Mix of soils, sandy, limestone, and clay, in one of the highest plots of the region. The Viura comes from another vineyard close to it called Mingortiz, a gravelly vineyard, with north exposure. 70% Viura and 30% Garnacha Blanca fermented separately in 500-liter oak barrels, where the wine matured with lees for 10 months.

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Miguel Merino Rioja Blanco 2023 750ml