Bodegas Valdemar Conde Valdemar Rioja Reserva 2017
Complex aromas with subtle spicy notes and ripe black fruit touches, leading to a generous, intense palate full of plums, raisins and chocolate. Beautiful balance of fruit and oak, with a long, persistent finish.
Unusually for Rioja, all the Valdemar grapes come from the family’s own vineyards (almost 300 hectares), giving unrivalled control over the quality of the fruit at every level. Grapes for the Reserva are grown exclusively in Rioja Alavesa, and were harvested in the second week of October.
This reserva was aged for 26 months in barrel, with 65% American and 35% French oak.
| RRP | £23.95 |
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Alcoholic strength | 13.5% |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Rioja |
| Grapes | Tempranillo 85%, Mazuelo 10%, Garnacha 5% |
| Body | D |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Cork |
The roots of Bodegas Valdemar go back to 1889 and Joaquin Martínez Bujanda, and it remains an independent estate, specialising in Rioja. They are committed to using 100% estate-grown fruit, which has allowed Valdemar both to keep quality consistent and also to experiment with different sites and obscure grape varieties. Unusually for Rioja, all the grapes used by Bodegas Valdemar come from estate vineyards (290 hectares of them). The range of wines makes the most of this consistency and flexibility, from unoaked entry-level Riojas bursting with flavour, to dense and complex rarities.
