Bodegas Lan, `Culmen` Rioja Reserva

Founded in 1972, Bodegas Lan combines tradition with innovation to produce benchmark Rioja wines, predominantly from their ‘Viña Lanciano’ vineyard in Rioja Alta. Hand-harvested and sustainably farmed, ‘Vina Lanciano’ is one of Rioja Alta’s largest and most striking single-vineyards, encircled by the curve of the Ebro River. The vineyard’s poor, ‘canto rodado’ stony soils and old vines, aged up to 60 years old, create low yields of very concentrated fruit. The site is divided into 24 plots according to soil and aspect, with each matched to Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo. The jewel of Viña Lanciano is ‘Pago el Rincón’, the highest and oldest plot within the vineyard, which produces their ‘A Mano’ and ‘Culmen’ Riojas.

María Barúa has been the head winemaker and technical director of Bodegas Lan since 2002. Born and raised in Rioja, María is an oak ageing expert. Just as the vineyards' subplots are matched to their optimal grape variety, María matches each wine with the perfect barrel. She works with a wide range of French, American, Pyrenean and Hungarian oak barrels from numerous coopers, and Bodegas Lan was the first producer in Rioja to pioneer a hybrid barrel with American oak staves and French oak heads.

These hybrid barrels are used to age the Rioja Crianza and Rioja Reserva, which both blend Tempranillo with Mazuelo (and a small percentage of Garnacha for the Crianza). The Gran Reserva is sourced from 40-year-old Tempranillo vines in Rioja Alta, with Mazuelo grown in the famed ‘Viña Lanciano’ vineyard, adding extra depth. It is aged for two years in French and American oak, followed by three years in bottle before release.

Made from 100% organic Tempranillo, the grapes for Bodegas Lan’s ‘Ecológico' Crianza are sourced from a five-hectare plot within ‘Viña Lanciano’. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 14 months in new French oak barrels, this is a fine, classic example of a Rioja Crianza. The ‘Viña Lanciano’ Reserva blends Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo, aged in French and Hungarian oak, creating an elegant expression of this beautiful vineyard. The ‘D-12’ Crianza nods to the cheeky Rioja tradition of winemakers choosing the best wines to keep for themselves. At Bodegas Lan, this was always the wine in the ‘D-12’ tank. Each harvest, the most promising Tempranillo parcel is identified for ‘D-12’. Aged in American and French new oak barrels, the ‘D-12’ boasts intense aromas of cranberry, redcurrant and prune coupled with vanilla and cinnamon.

The ‘A Mano’ (‘by hand’ in Spanish) references the vigorous, labour-intensive sorting process undertaken in the ‘Pago el Rincón’, ensuring only the best grapes are used in this wine. It has the hallmark minerality of the ‘Viña Lanciano’ wines, coupled with juicy black fruit flavours and a perfectly integrated spiciness. The ‘Culmen’ (‘Epitome’ in Spanish) Reserva is produced only in outstanding vintages from the oldest Tempranillo and Graciano vines in the ‘Pago el Rincón’. This concentrated wine is aged for 25 months in new French oak barrels, followed by a further 22 months in bottle.

Though famed for their red wines, Bodegas Lan also produces a Verdejo in collaboration with Olga Tormo from D.O. Rueda. It blends estate-grown and locally purchased fruit from Rueda, sourced from vines aged between 17-30 years old at 700 metres above sea level. Soils in Rueda here have a high concentration of pebbles, low organic matter and excellent drainage. The grapes are harvested at night to preserve acidity, while lees ageing and bâtonnage add texture and intensity to this vibrant white wine.