Abel Mendoza, Garnacha Blanca, Rioja, Spain, 2020

Producer Profile

Modest, passionate and in no small part obsessive, Abel Mendoza and Maite Fernández have been making understated wines from their old vine vineyards, high up in the Cantabrian mountains near San Vicente de la Sonsierra since the late 80s.

His intimate knowledge of the diverse terroirs in this spectacular part of Rioja is enthralling, and every barrel tasted reveals startling provenance and true character of the vintage. Abel doesn’t make wines that flatter, they don’t speak of oak regimes, but rather of the quality of his fruit, expressed in its most honest form.

Viticulture

From a selection of plots with vines grown on calcareous clay soils.

Winemaking

Fermentation in new French barrels with 5 months of battonage until bottlling.

Oak Ageing

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

Tasting Note

This viscous, mouth-filling wine offers notes of toast, red and green apples, caramel and almond.

Food Matching

Grilled shellfish, asparagus, fried eggs, soft-paste cheeses

Awards

Tim Atkin Rioja 2022 Special Report 95 Points
There are only 800 bottles of this wonderful wine, alas, the crop was hit by mildew and hail in 2020, but do your best to track it down. Tangy and stony, with lime and lemon peel flavours, fine oak spices, a hint of peach, appealing freshness and minerality and a long, tapering finsh. Classy Stuff. 2022-28. 95 Points, TA, Feb 2022.