Log in for prices and ordering
Exopto’s village-level wine is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 10% Graciano drawn from a dozen old-vine, high-altitude plots entirely in the western Sonsierra zone in the lee of the Sierra Cantabria ranges. Previously based solely on Ábalos vines, since 2020, the wine includes fruit from the old vines of Los Pozos and El Sacramento in San Vicente, in addition to old-vine Tempranillo from a vineyard in Baños de Ebro purchased in 2019. Then, Tom adds the fruit from the lower part of his brilliant ‘cru’ vineyard, La Mimbrera.
Co-fermented naturally in cement vats, the wine undergoes a short maceration of one week before starting maturation in oak barriques. The wine finishes aging in large, neutral 600-litre barrels to lessen the already minimal oak impact. Reflecting its high-altitude origins, this is a darker, deeper and more structured Rioja than the wine above.
This new release carries a special, one-off label celebrating this wine’s 20th anniversary. Reflecting the vintage, it’s a deeper, more succulent wine than its predecessor: a juicily ripe, cool-climate Rioja with layers of vibrant blue and blackberry fruit shot through with fruitcakey spice and a sappy, plum-damson undercurrent of freshness. There’s 15% new oak this year, yet the fruit provides all the energy. Plenty of fine, powdery tannins provide food-friendly tension and backbone.