2020 Bodegas Riojanas Monte Real Rioja Blanco

The Frías Artacho family is an old one, even for Rioja. 

The family launched Bodegas Riojanas in 1890—36 years before the Rioja appellation was born—and they have owned some of their vineyards since as far back as 1799. 

Today this traditional, stalwart winegrowing clan makes a remarkably fresh, modern, and expressive white Rioja. Fanatical about quality, they pick their Viura and Malvasía de Rioja grapes from high-altitude (1,475 feet) old vines late at night to preserve freshness and fruit, avoiding the nutty, oxidative style occasionally found in old-school white Riojas.

The winemaking team stirs the juice every day on the lees for five months in barrels equipped with special acacia heads that help promote fruit flavor. Thanks to this meticulousness in the cellar, Bodegas Riojanas’ Monte Real Rioja Blanco landed within one point of the very top 2020 white Riojas in James Suckling’s 2021 report.  

Bodegas Riojanas sits in the heart of Rioja Alta, in Cenicero, and was launched during the glory years of the region. In this area, the vineyards are prized for their combination of Rioja Alta’s elegance and structure with Rioja Alavesa’s power and fruit.  

The Monte Real is sourced from their estate vineyards in Cenicero. The bush-shaped vines—which are trained en vaso (known as gobelet in France)—here average 40 years of age and give off grapes of ample concentration, while their umbrella-like canopies help them handle the intense summer heat without losing acidity.

Chardonnay lovers, Sancerre fanatics, fire up that paella pan and pop a bottle of this expertly barrel-fermented weeknight white. We can’t think of a better place to start getting to know this legendary appellation.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Sweetness
• Acidity

• ABV 12.50%
• Enjoy right away
• Drink Up
• 80% Viura20% Malvasia
• Serving temperature – 45°
• Cork