Bodegas Luis Cañas, Selección de la Familia Rioja Reserva, DOCa Rioja, Spain, 2019

Producer Profile

Bodegas Luis Cañas has been at the heart of Rioja since 1928. This Estate has played an enormous role in shaping the Alavesa’s – and Rioja’s – modern incarnation.

Comprised of some of the region’s best and highest altitude vineyards, the soil in this area is poor and produces small bunches, perfect for making highly concentrated Rioja wines. Vineyards are split into hundreds of individual plots, planted with gnarly old bush vines on chalky-clay soils, sheltered under the magnificent Sierra de Cantabria range. Rioja Alavesa has the largest number of ‘Viñedo Singulares’ in Rioja and Luis Cañas is an exemplary producer of single vineyard wines from the region. The Estates' Director of Viticulture, Rubén Jiménez, is celebrated for the important research he has conducted in identifying special sites in the Alavesa, as well as recovering an extraordinary number of ‘lost and ancient’ varieties in the family’s vineyards. He was named Grower of the Year by Tim Atkin MW in 2023 for the vital work he is doing to advance and safeguard the region. In 2016, Juan Luis, son of Luis Cañas opened Bodegas Amaren in the neighbouring village of Samaniego, and named his son, Jon Cañas, winemaker.

Viticulture

With 350 hectares of outstanding vineyards, split across 870 different plots, the viticultural department control every aspect. Each of the plots has its own personality and is categorised and used for different wines according to its characteristics. Vines are situated on slopes and terraces of limestone and clay soil, well exposed to the sun, and are at least 45 years old.

Winemaking

Upon entering the Bodega, the grapes were cold macerated for 72 hours. Fermentation at 26º C in sealed cement tanks under temperature control, with the must pumped over daily. The wine is aged in medium toasted American and French oak. The total period in barrels is 20 months. After the final racking, it is clarified, decanted and bottled directly without any type of filtration. Because this wine’s evolutionary cycle is quite slow, only corks of the highest quality available are used to ensure long ageing potential.

Tasting Note

A beautiful ruby colour. A clean nose with good intensity. Complex aromas of leather, ripe sweet fruit and herbs over a base of fine oak. Palate: Potent and juicy with structure and good tenacity. The finish shows lots of spice and is ample, complex, long and persistent.

Food Matching

Best served with pasta dishes, roasted lamb and beef, stews and poultry.

Awards

Tim Atkin Rioja Report 2024 92 Points
One of only a handful of wines in Rioja that contains Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a stylish, well-judged blend of the Bordeaux grape with 85% Tempranillo. Graphite and blackcurrant leaf aromas add an extra dimension to the red berry and bramble fruit here framed by equal proportions of French and American oak. TA, 92 Points, 2024.