Bodega Lanzaga 'Lanzaga' Rioja DOC

Description

Known simply as Lanzaga to its fans, Bodega Lanzaga ‘Lanzaga’ Rioja used to be labelled as Telmo Rodriguez Lanzaga Rioja. It hasn’t changed substance desipite the change in name – it remains a more elegant style of Rioja that is gaining in popularity as people shun the more commercial style. I have both the 2017 and the 2019 vintages in stock. Telmo is still very much involved; he was named several years ago as one of Tim Atkin’s top 10 Rioja Producers in Decanter magazine and rightly so. I think this is my favourite of all his wines. The grapes for this blend of 85% Tempranillo with 10% Garnacha or Grenache and 5% Graciano are grown organically (certified) and bio-dynamically on traditional bush vines and hand-picked before being produced into wine as naturally as possible and without commercially produced yeast or chemicals.

As ever and despite a difficult vintage, the 2017 vintage is lovely and complex, a fruity wine with structure, elegance and a minerally freshness. It will release its aromas and flavours more readily if decanted or swirled in the glass. ‘Lanzaga’ Rioja from Bodega Lanzaga is a light to medium-bodied wine but a serious style of Rioja with redcurrants, cherries, blackberries with chocolate and spice and a hint of oak. It has a long, silky finish. Whilst drinking nicely now, this wine has the body, fruit and tannins to evolve further in the next few years.

The 2019 vintage of Lanzaga Rioja from Bodega Lanzaga is a stunning wine from a vintage that was described by the Rioja Regulatory Council as “the” vintage in terms of quality and a wonderful expression of the terroir of Rioja. Despite the intense heat and lower yields, grape quality was excellent ensuring that the wine has complexity and elegance, with a fruity profile and a refreshing, minerally finish. On the nose, this wine presents a lovely blend of mulberries, blackberries, cherries and redcurrants with a subtle hint of oak. These aromas are complemented by notes of chocolate, spice and some savoury, meaty hints, which add to the wine’s complexity and depth. On the palate, the aromas of the Lanzaga Rioja 2019 are mirrored in the complex flavours and the fruit flavours are balanced by a refreshing minerality. The wine is medium-bodied, with a silky texture and a long, smooth finish. While this wine is drinking beautifully now, it has the body, fruit, and tannins to evolve further over the next few years. It is a serious style of Rioja that will reward those who patiently allow it to age and develop.