more praise for Altos wines and Amaia, plus news on Pigeage 2022

Awards for Amaia and the wines pour in  

This change in ownership has allowed Jean-Marc to give his winemaker Amaia even more responsibility. She is the granddaughter of a Rioja winemaker, so has it in her blood and Jean-Marc wants her to be a superstar. Wine critic Tim Atkin MW obviously believes she has the skills – he was very enthusiastic about the wines he tasted on his last visit back in November. And great news ... Tim has announced Amaia as one of his Top Five Rising Star Winemakers in his 2026 Rioja Report.

Since her arrival at Altos, Amaia has worked with Jean-Marc towards a more gentle style of winemaking. The aim is to produce fine wines that are more subtle and complex with only a touch of oak. Almost Burgundian in style – ready to drink earlier too. They are certainly getting the thumbs up from critics, who regularly give every one of the Altos wines presented to them scores of 90 upwards. Recently top sommelier Andreas Larsson scored Altos Pigeage Tempranillo 2022 95 points, putting it among his ‘Top 100 – Top Wines Of The World’. Only 19 other wines scored higher and most of those were far more expensive. Larsson wrote: “The palate shows a formidable concentration with great freshness, fine level of extraction with grainy tannin, layers of crunchy dark fruit, good nuance and a long, lingering vigorous finish.”

At Spain’s 2026 Catavinum competition, Altos wines were awarded five Golds and three Grand Golds, with 96 points for the Altos R Pigeage 2022 and 97 points for the pure Graciano 2023. Impressive.

Waxing and waning

In the vineyard and cellar, Jean-Marc and Amaia don’t wish to stick strictly organic or biodynamic methods, but they are increasingly working in tune with nature and the cycles of the moon. They like to respect commonsense rules ... ‘root days’ are reserved for pruning and working on the soil; ‘fruit and flower days’ are good for racking, bottling and tasting. All fairly normal guidelines for rural communities in generations past in fact – they’d choose a fruit or flower day to plant out seedlings whether that be in the vineyard or their vegetable patch and wouldn’t choose a root day for visiting the barber or hairdressser!

Let’s leave the last words on winemaking and the team to Amaia:

“Since I arrived at Altos de Rioja six years ago, many things have changed, but our purpose remains the same: to preserve the essence of Rioja Alavesa while crafting wines of the highest quality.

Always guided by Jean-Marc’s vision, I’ve been able to contribute ideas for improvement and support the day-to-day management of the winery, all with the shared goal of continually elevating the quality of our wines.

We are a young, revitalised winery team that – unlike many others – works like a small family. Each one of us brings something unique, and together we truly complement one another. Alberto, my right-hand in the cellar, is a Basque punk singer who happens to be the most responsible cellar master in the area. Irene, a marathon runner, is his right hand, adding logic and skill to the team. Iosu, our harvest assistant, is a teacher and is always ready to help with absolutely everything – and always with a smile. We share our daily life at the winery and even danced merengue (a type of shuffley Latin American dance) at our Christmas party! That sense of unity is unmistakably reflected in every bottle.”

Introducing Sofía

Jean-Marc was also excited to have taken back control of sales for the bodega. He’s brought in the spirited and hugely efficient Sofía Pavón to help him, along with a small team of eight sales reps.

Altos wines sell well across the UK, America, Netherlands and Germany, but Jean-Marc is keen to increase distribution in Spain too. He’s aiming to double domestic sales – he wants all of Spain to know about the great wines on their doorstep.

Sofía will represent Altos around the world, attending shows and trade fairs, liaising with clients, creating connections and exploring new markets. She will be busy! On top of that, Sofía will be looking after customer visits ... and encouraging more of them. Jean-Marc has plans to make the experience even better, so do come along and test it out! Just drop Sofía a line first at export@altosderioja.com   

This year’s wine release – altos R Pigeage Tempranillo 2022

We asked Jean-Marc how 2022 fared up in Elvillar in the Rioja Alavesa.

“2022 in the high reaches of the Alavesa was defined by warm, dry conditions. Winter was relatively mild, although strong winds always whistle round the winery. We were lucky with a bit of rainfall in spring, then summer arrived with little precipitation and persistent heat. Temperatures never reach the heights further down the slopes, but it was still hot, so berries were healthy (with minimal disease pressure) but small and intensely flavoured.

We are very happy with our wines, particularly Pigeage Tempranillo – a red that has charm in its youth (four years old is still young for this wine!), but that will go the distance if you prefer.”

Making the wine

As its name suggests, pigeage (the plunge-down of the skins into the liquid) is key to the making of this dense, rich wine – once or twice a day initially, dropping to about twice a week as the fermentation progresses. Certainly less often than when Jean-Marc first made Altos Pigeage, because he and Amaia are aiming for a more subtle, perfumed style, ready for drinking from four years, whilst still holding onto the richness and power.

Each batch is fermented separately and aged in new or one-year-old French oak barriques. The final wine is blended at a later date, combining these oaked cuvées with the cuvées fermented and aged in Jean-Marc’s treasured clay amphorae. These ancient-style vessels are key in retaining a very pure fruit and vibrancy in the wine to counter the oakier notes of the wines in barriques. It’s a fine balancing act that they work on every year.

With 12 top awards including seven scores of 93 and above and many Golds, Jean-Marc and Amaia are obviously doing a grand job, but are always striving for that perfect 100.

Jean-Marc’s tasting note

“Pigeage 2022 is a refined expression of old-vine Tempranillo with a little Graciano, nurtured in the limestone terroir of Alavesa.

In the glass it shows a deep ruby colour with youthful purple hints at the rim. The nose is intense: ripe blackberry, black cherry and plum, followed by floral notes of violet and subtle hints of liquorice. Swirl it a little and secondary aromas emerge of sweet spices, toasted oak, cocoa and a delicate touch of tobacco, reflecting its maturation in French oak.

It is full-bodied and polished with concentrated dark fruit supported by vibrant acidity and finely textured tannins, giving the wine both structure and elegance. Our pigeage technique used during fermentation contributes to its depth of colour and silky texture, while maintaining balance. Notes of blackberry compote, clove, mocha and a touch of cedar unfold across the mid-palate.

The finish is long, smooth and persistent, with lingering spice and mineral freshness. This wine shows both power and finesse, suggesting good ageing potential over the next 8–20 years, but it’s also delicious to drink now.”

Enjoy your bottles whenever you choose to drink them. We’d recommend you open the bottle early and decant if you can.