Chat with Vinny
Altos R Pigeage Graciano Rioja 2020
Rioja DOCa
View awards
- 95pts, James Suckling, 2022
- 96pts, Concurso Civas, 2021
- Great Gold, International Wine & Spirit Competition, 2021
- Silver, International Wine Challenge, 2021
- 92pts, International Wine Challenge, 2021
- Gold, Certamen TopWine, 2021
- Bronze, International Wine Challenge, 2022
- Gold, Berliner Wine Trophy, 2022
- Great Gold, Catavinum World Wine & Spirits Competition, 2022
- 96pts, Catavinum World Wine & Spirits Competition, 2022
- 89pts, Guía Gourmets, 2022
- Grand Gold, Concurso Civas, 2021
- 92pts, Guia Peñin, 2022
- Gold, Asia Wine Trophy, 2022
- Gold, Premios Vinduero-Vindouro, 2022
- 93pts, Cata Andreas Larsson, 2022
- Bronze, International Wine & Spirit Competition, 2022
- 87pts, International Wine & Spirit Competition, 2022
Seven Golds and 95 points from top critic James Suckling, this is a stunning, rare Rioja. It’s made purely from the region’s superb Graciano grape. Very low-yield, tiny berries, aged in new oak, it's layered with complexity, richness and finesse.
Seven Golds and 95 points from top critic James Suckling, this is a stunning, rare Rioja. It’s made purely from the region’s superb Graciano grape. Very low-yield, tiny berries, aged in new oak, it's layered with complexity, richness and finesse.
Beyond the Label
Tasting notes
Powerful, silky, yet fresh, with red fruits, hints of spice, length
Aroma
Floral lift, with red berry fruit, a balsamic and mineral note, spice
Allergy information
Contains sulphites
This is Jean-Marc Sauboua’s pure, ultra-rare Graciano. Never heard of it? Not surprising as, despite being Rioja’s most important grape variety about a century ago, today it makes up just 1% of plantings. Oz Clarke called it “far and away the most interesting vine in Rioja”. Jean-Marc is a great fan and doing his best to revive it. He only makes this flagship special cuvée in the best vintages, because Graciano is hard to ripen. Fruit from ancient bush vines, with yields of 10–15 hectolitres per hectare, accounts for amazing layers and length of flavour. Fermented slowly in open-top wooden fermenters, with once-a-day plunge down (pigeage), then with 20 months in all-new French oak, this is a powerful red. For now, decant early. Or keep.
Critic, 95 points
