Abel Mendoza, Blanco 5 Varietals, DOCa Rioja, Spain, 2019

Producer Profile

Modest and passionate about his vineyards, Abel and his wife Maite have been making understated wines in San Vicente since 1988.

Lying in the shadow of the Sierra Cantabria, Abel has vineyards in the finest parts of the Alavesa. His knowledge and understanding of the soils is enthralling and to taste in his cellar can be an education on the effects different soils have in different years. He wants only to express the fruit and the soil and unlike many Riojans, he leaves it more or less at that. He does not want to stamp the wines with any particular style or mark of his own other than his respect for the very natural quality of the grapes and for the magical places that they were grown.

Viticulture

Harvest is carried out by hand, each plot and each variety individually at optimum ripeness. One of Abel's specialties is the vinification of the traditional white Rioja varietals separately in new oak barrels.

Winemaking

Fermentation in new french barrels and 5 months battonage until bottlling.

Oak Treatment

Time: 5 Months
Type: French
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: 100

Tasting Note

The nose is quite complex, with notes of smoke, yellow and white fruits, white flowers and balsamic aromas. The compact palate shows power as well as plenty of well-integrated oak.

Food Matching

Complex salads, legumes, braised seafood, braised white fish, cod fish, soft cheese.