Cuentavinas Alomado Rioja 2021
94 Points - Tim Atkin MW. The Cuentaviñas Alomado 2021 is another wonderful wine from of this extraordinary Rioja bodega. Produced from a single vineyard which is home to vines that are over 60 years old, it marries tradition with innovation to startling effect. Itâs planted with a mixture of Tempranillo grapes alongside the white varieties of Viura, MalvasĂa Riojana and Calagraño in whatâs now known as a âfield blendâ. Innovation continues in the winery where the wine is barrel fermented in small oak casks with a blend of wild yeasts, those present on the grapesâ skins, and cultivated yeasts. It is then aged for 18 months not in the more common 225 litre casks, but 500 barrels which reduces the oakiness and allows the wineâs glorious freshness and nuance to be preserved. The result is an intriguing mix of power and complexity, depth and freshness. Add in the brilliance of the 2021 Rioja vintage, and this is a wine that every Rioja lover should have in their collection.
Vivino Rating: 4.2 (Mar 2025)
Wine Press Ratings
94 Points - Tim Atkin MW
Taste
The 2021 Alomado is 80% Tempranillo, 10% Viura, 6% MalvasĂa and 4% Calagraño sourced from San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Rioja Alavesa. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (one-third new), this wine boasts a purple hue and delicate aromas of strawberry, sour cherry, balsamic and dried flowers, with hints of fresh rose. On the palate, it is dry, lean and silky with an energetic flow that lingers long, revealing profound, complex, lasting flavours. This represents a novel approach to Rioja reds, shaping new frames for the region, particularly in the Sonsierra area. 93/100 Robert Parker
About the Producer
Cuentaviñas is the new project of Eduardo Eguren, a fifth-generation member of the Eguren family, who are owners of some of the greatest wineries in Spain. Having long dreamt of producing a Rioja which put the grapesâ character at the fore, after inheriting three prime vineyards from his grandfather he made his dream a reality. Eduardo wanted his wines to tell a story. The name Cuentaviñas is a play on words, cuentacuentos meaning storyteller, so cuentaviñas translates to vineyard-teller. Production is minuscule, allowing for practices such as ploughing by horse, hand-pruning and canopy management, much of which Eduardo does himself. Cuentaviñas is an excellent example of the ânew Spainâ. Its practices blend the best of Rioja with the best of Burgundy and the RhĂŽne, and what a story these wines tell!
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Description
94 Points - Tim Atkin MW. The Cuentaviñas Alomado 2021 is another wonderful wine from of this extraordinary Rioja bodega. Produced from a single vineyard which is home to vines that are over 60 years old, it marries tradition with innovation to startling effect. Itâs planted with a mixture of Tempranillo grapes alongside the white varieties of Viura, MalvasĂa Riojana and Calagraño in whatâs now known as a âfield blendâ. Innovation continues in the winery where the wine is barrel fermented in small oak casks with a blend of wild yeasts, those present on the grapesâ skins, and cultivated yeasts. It is then aged for 18 months not in the more common 225 litre casks, but 500 barrels which reduces the oakiness and allows the wineâs glorious freshness and nuance to be preserved. The result is an intriguing mix of power and complexity, depth and freshness. Add in the brilliance of the 2021 Rioja vintage, and this is a wine that every Rioja lover should have in their collection.
Vivino Rating: 4.2 (Mar 2025)
Wine Press Ratings
94 Points - Tim Atkin MW
Taste
The 2021 Alomado is 80% Tempranillo, 10% Viura, 6% MalvasĂa and 4% Calagraño sourced from San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Rioja Alavesa. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (one-third new), this wine boasts a purple hue and delicate aromas of strawberry, sour cherry, balsamic and dried flowers, with hints of fresh rose. On the palate, it is dry, lean and silky with an energetic flow that lingers long, revealing profound, complex, lasting flavours. This represents a novel approach to Rioja reds, shaping new frames for the region, particularly in the Sonsierra area. 93/100 Robert Parker
About the Producer
Cuentaviñas is the new project of Eduardo Eguren, a fifth-generation member of the Eguren family, who are owners of some of the greatest wineries in Spain. Having long dreamt of producing a Rioja which put the grapesâ character at the fore, after inheriting three prime vineyards from his grandfather he made his dream a reality. Eduardo wanted his wines to tell a story. The name Cuentaviñas is a play on words, cuentacuentos meaning storyteller, so cuentaviñas translates to vineyard-teller. Production is minuscule, allowing for practices such as ploughing by horse, hand-pruning and canopy management, much of which Eduardo does himself. Cuentaviñas is an excellent example of the ânew Spainâ. Its practices blend the best of Rioja with the best of Burgundy and the RhĂŽne, and what a story these wines tell!
