Abel Mendoza, Selección Personal, DOCa Rioja, Spain, 2018

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.

Tim Atkin Rioja 2022 Special Report 94 Points
This impressive Tempranillo hails from a single two-hectare parcel called Marrate-El Bardillo in Labastida. New oak aged, it’s a grippy, compact, dense red with a hint of good reduction, stony, brooding intensity, grippy tannins and the concentration and fruit weight to age beautifully in bottle. 2024-30. 94 Points, TA, Feb 2022.