Conde Valdemar Tempranillo Rioja 2024
Lovely smooth young Rioja, with bright cranberry/cherry fruit, a violet aroma, and some creaminess on the 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 this particular wine were picked in the last week of October.
Straightforward winemaking is used to keep the fruit to the fore: temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel, no oak ageing, and early bottling to capture the vibrant berry quality of the Tempranillo.
| RRP | £14.75 |
| Vintage | 2024 |
| Alcoholic strength | 13.5% |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Rioja |
| Grapes | Tempranillo 100% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 1.3 |
| Body | C |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Milk | No |
| Eggs | No |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Screwcap |
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.
