2021 Alegre Valgañon Rioja

93RP

91TA

90VN

$21.99

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Wine Advocate

Reviewed February 2024

The 2021 Tinto, produced with 75% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% white grapes, is serious and austere, produced with grapes from cooler parts of Rioja to achieve freshness and aging potential without having to resource to very long aging in barrel (this was in barrels and foudres of different ages and sizes for some 16 months). It opened up with time in the glass to a medium to full-bodied palate with very fine tannins and a clean, long and tasty, almost salty finish. It's a wine that transcends its price. 25,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2023. (LG)

Professional Reviews

Tim Atkin

Review Date: 02/2023

This enjoyable, well-priced red is Tempranillo based, with lesser percentages of Garnacha and some field-blended white grapes. Delicate and perfumed, with almost Pinot Noir-like in terms of weight and structure, with pomegranate and wild strawberry fruit and caressing tannins. 2023-26

Vinous

Review Date: 12/2023

The 2021 Tinto is a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% Viura sourced from Rioja. Aged for 16 months in French barrels and Slovenian foudres, this garnet wine offers floral notes of violet and geranium, accompanied by hints of pink peppercorn and black fruits. Dry and chalky on the palate, it lingers with a faintly rough texture. (JH)

Staff Reviews

Scott Beckerley

This mouth-filling Rioja has a nice combination of dark strawberry and black cherry fruit, surrounded by upper palate spice and tip of the tongue chalkiness. A very nice little bargain of a wine that is delicious to drink now but, will also age well for several years due to the that chalkiness. A very memorable new arrival!

Notes

Oscar Alegre along with his wife Luis Valgañon, recently began exporting their Riojas to the US, and we are very happy to welcome these wonderful new entrants into our inventory. For their red Rioja, the couple uses Tempranillo grown in some of the most western villages of Rioja Alta, including Sajazarra along with a few others. There is an important 25% Garnacha component from the village of Cardenas, a higher elevation section of the southwestern portion of Rioja Alta that is well known for its Grenache. This is expressive, tightly packed with red fruit flavors and nicely built for some ageing as well. A wonderful example of the next wave in Rioja!

Details

Origin	Rioja, Spain
Type/Varietal	Tempranillo
Alcohol Content	14%
SKU	1746974