RIOJA RE-BUILD

Back in January, with the 2026 “To do” list already looking unachievable and not open for new business, two bolts from the blue within the space of a week, combined to form a single high-priority entry right at the top of my list, which simple read “Rioja?”.

Bodegas Bohedal and Bodegas Aldonia have formed the core of our Rioja offering for nearly ten years. The small, family run Bohedal, was one of the first wineries I discovered for de Burgh after being blown away by how good they were back in 2014. They used a combination of American, French and Romanian oak, which was unique and helped create the Barrel Fermented Blanco, which has been one of our most successful wines over the years. Bodegas Aldonia offered something stylistically different. The reds were made with predominately Garnacha, rather than Bohedal’s Tempranillo, and spent less time in oak, so did not qualify or carry the classic age statements of Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva. This was uncommon 10 years ago and a brave move to trust in wines that were simply labelled as Rioja.  In Aldonia 100, they introduced me to the idea of a single vineyard wine made from old vines, something that is becoming increasingly popular in Rioja.

After placing a New Year order with Bohedal, Blanca replied to me by asking if I’d like some more wine because they’d stopped making it. Even considering the language barrier, it was a blunt message to receive and one that I read a few times before replying hopefully “I assume you have run out of this vintage?”. “No, we’re retiring and the kids don’t want to take the winery on, it’s sold”.

A week later I receive a phone call from Ruth who looked after the export for Bodegas Aldonia. “Will, the brothers have sold all their vineyards, and they will not be making anymore wine”. At this point I’m thinking that Rioja has got together to play a big joke on me. “There is no money in it anymore, so they had to sell”. “Nobody gets into the wine trade to make money” I reminded her. Turns out they prefer a decent wage to doing things for the love of it. Ungrateful, I know!

Initially I viewed this as a problem. A problem in that although change is good, it was a change that nobody was asking for or wanting, and I knew these wines were deeply loved. It also put me face to face with the direct consequences of the wine trades biggest issues – overproduction and falling consumption. Wineries closing is inevitable and Rioja is a region that produces a sea of wine at a time when younger people want canned cocktails and have replaced nights out with gym sessions.

Problems need solved however and the opportunity to reconnect with Rioja and taste hundreds of potential new wines made it a First World issue. The results are now live on the website and as usual, I got carried away and we have ended up with more wines than we intended coupled with the high likelihood of more to come. Despite the issues facing Rioja and the wider world of wine, there are still amazing people doing amazing things there. The region has embraced chance and whilst wanting to remain true to its roots and everything that made it the success it is, so many understand that they must adapt, reconnect with customers and listen to their changing demands. We were lucky to find three Bodegas who are already ahead of the game in this regard and so it gives me great pleasure to introduce….

Bodegas Maisulan

This was a no brainer. The Las Saleras Rioja Jovan really stood out amongst all the Rioja Jovans we tasted. There is a softness and purity to the fruit which reminded us of Bodegas Aldonia Vendimia, but the wine is silkier and a little glossier which makes it a delicious glass of wine, with or without food.

Bodegas Martinez Alesanco

We wanted to find a producer that like Bohedal, made a classic Crianza that had generous fruit and luscious modern oak flavours. Dusty, old dry Rioja was not on the agenda. I have to be honest; this one didn’t come easy. There were visits, recommendations and numerous tastings over the Spring and still nothing was ticking all the boxes for me. I then resorted to a tried and trusted method of finding new wines. I went to San Sebastien and hit the town. On night two, I went with my two boys to a bar called Desy, which I was told was famous for its burgers. The boys love a burger and my eyes lit up when I saw they were pouring, amongst many other wines, my old friend Gregory Perez’s, from Bodegas Mengoba, Mencia Brezo. I was confident this gaff had taste so got a glass of the Rioja Crianza they were pouring from magnum. Now, there is an obvious risk involved in looking for wines this way, especially after consuming a good few glasses to really get a feel for the wine. I was drunkenly confident that I’d found our wine, but a subsequent tasting of the whole range with the guys confirmed that I didn’t have my holiday tinted glasses on and it turned out that their own range was of high quality. This is a great set of wines, available in magnum also from a brilliant family winery.

Bodegas Hermanos Pecina

We had a dilemma here. In a tasting of countless Crianza’s this was not only the first one in the lineout, but a clear standout. Problem was that it was just a little too expensive to replace Bohedal. I get that spending around £20 might be towards the high end for any wine, especially Rioja Crianza, but this is phenomenal wine for £20. We had to buy it. It is classically modern if such a term exists and is dark, deep, structured, balanced and complex. Decanted, it develops and delivers.

So there you have it, our first Rioja re-build. Enjoy!