2013 Bodegas Palacios Remondo "La Montesa" Crianza Rioja

Notes

Alvaro Palacios has roots that run deep into the soil of Rioja. He was born into one of the region's most prestigious winemaking families, the force behind Palacios Remondo, yet his interests have always been grander. Rather than slide simply into a position at the family winery, Alvaro decided to go out and do his own thing for a while. During the eighties, he worked in Bordeaux with Jean-Pierre Moueix, then decided to purchase his own winery in Priorat where he worked avidly to help put that region on the map. During that time, Alvaro advocated for the lesser known wine regions of Spain, eventually coming back to the family winery in Rioja. Once home, he set to work using his experiences elsewhere to get the business back on track, while at the same time rethinking exactly what Rioja is about. Today he's considered one of the region's forward-thinking leaders. There's a reason Alvaro Palacios was named Decanter magazine's "man of the year" for 2015. He completely reimagined what it takes to make top quality Rioja, with the goal of maximizing terroir, cutting back on oak, and showing respect for the land. As a result, the wines from Palacios Remondo are brighter, livelier, and more expressive since his return, but the best is still yet to come. The 2013 "La Montesa" Crianza is a perfect example of that promise. The 2013 vintage really highlights freshness over intensity and aromatics over richness.