Bodegas Lan, `Ecológico` Rioja Crianza

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, ‘Viña Lanciano’ is one of Rioja Alta’s largest and most striking single-vineyards, encircled by a 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.

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 different plots within Viña Lanciano are matched to specific grape varieties, María carefully tailors the oak ageing to each wine, working with a wide range of French, American, Pyrenean and Caucasian oak from different coopers. Bodegas Lan was also 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 comes from 40-year-old Tempranillo vines in Rioja Alta, with a dash of 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 ‘Ecológico' Crianza is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 14 months in new French oak barrels. It is a fine example of a Rioja Crianza with vibrant red fruit framed by subtle oak. The ‘D-12’ Crianza is a nod 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 to ensure that only pristine berries from low-yielding old vines make it into this intensely flavoured wine. Ten months in French oak followed by four months in Caucasian oak results in a wonderfully smooth mouthfeel and adds clove and cinnamon spice to the dark fruit profile.

The ‘Viña Lanciano’ Reserva is a beautiful expression of this remarkable single vineyard. A blend of Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo, aged for 17 months in French oak, it marries wonderful depth of ripe red and black fruit with well-integrated smoky notes from the oak and the hallmark minerality of the Lanciano wines. The ‘Culmen’ (‘epitome’ in Spanish) is produced only in outstanding vintages from the oldest Tempranillo and Graciano vines in the prime ‘Pago el Rincón’ plot within ‘Viña Lanciano’. Aged for 22 months in new French oak barrels from the Tronçais and Jupille forests, it has a core of brooding black fruit complemented of spicy notes of cocoa and black pepper.

Though famed for their Rioja, Bodegas Lan also produces a Rueda Verdejo in collaboration with Olga Tormo. It blends estate-grown and locally purchased fruit from vines up to 30 years old at 700 metres above sea level. The grapes are harvested at night to preserve acidity, while lees ageing and bâtonnage add texture and intensity to this vibrant white wine.