Bodegas Amézola de la Mora
The Amézola de la Mora family vineyard originated in the 19th century. Already then it enjoyed a good reputation in large parts of the country. With the appearance of the dreaded phylloxera plague, however, production unfortunately came to an end. In 1986, Iñigo Amézola de la Mora brought the family estate back to life.
María and Cristina, the daughters of Iñigo Amézola, who unfortunately died too early, now lead the family estate into the future as a young generation with gentle innovation, without neglecting the deeply rooted traditions. Torremontalbo is the name of the hamlet at a crossroads with as many as four houses. The bodega, not far away, is connected to an underground tunnel. 60 hectares of vineyards spread over at 600 to 700 metres above sea level around the bodega, which is built on a gentle hill. The view sweeps over the wide valley of the Ebro, from the Rioja Alta to the Rioja Alavesa on the other side of the river.
Red wines from Bodegas Amézola de la Mora
from Bodegas Amézola de la Mora
The soils in the Rioja Alta are predominantly loamy-calcareous. The subsoil contains sand and large chunks of lime, as one soil profile showed. They serve as water reservoirs for the long dry summer periods. In winter, the Cantabrian Mountains in the north protect from cold northern winds. Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo, some of which are over 40 years old, are harvested by hand and traditionally vinified in steel tanks without temperature regulation. The pressing is carried out gently with old basket presses. The ageing takes place mainly in used barrels. The results are delicate, traditional, classically elegant Riojas, which only leave the winery after longer storage in barrels and bottles than required by law, so that they do not require further storage in your cellar and are immediately ready to drink.
Producer
Bodega Rafael Palacios S.L.
He wanted to prove to the world that he could produce the best white wine in all of Spain -- and he succeeded!
Il Molino di Grace
Frank Grace acquired this estate in 1995 after holidaying in Tuscany with his wife and having fallen for the charm of this idyllic region.
Sette Cieli
It isn’t easy to ascend to seventh heaven. And indeed, the road to the wine estate Sette Cieli is fraught with some difficulties. You might need to take a few detours (seventh heaven isn’t on Google Maps’ radar), but the Ratti family’s wine paradise is more than worth the effort.