Álvaro Loza Tinto 2023

Álvaro Loza, born in La Rioja but having travelled all over the world, returned to his home region to launch his personal project in 2019.

This label, simply called ‘Vino Tinto’, is much more than just ‘simple’; it is a statement of Álvaro’s intention to represent the landscapes of La Rioja. Made from Tempranillo with a small proportion of Viura, both grown together on the same plots.

The wine is made from grapes sourced from four organically farmed plots across two villages. The Haro vineyards stretch along the Zaco meander, a spectacular setting on the left bank of the bend in the River Ebro, with sandy soils containing pebbles at an altitude of 450 metres above sea level. In contrast, the vineyards in Labastida are situated at an altitude of 530 metres on an east-facing terrace overlooking the Sierra de Toloño. The soils here consist of calcareous sand with a significant amount of sandstone very close to the surface.

The grapes are harvested by hand and 70% of the bunches are destemmed, leaving the whole berries to ferment in 1,000-litre open vats alongside the remaining third of whole bunches. As with all our wines, gentle manual punching down is carried out daily throughout the 40-day fermentation period. The wine is then aged for 16 months in used French oak barrels.

There are 2,231 numbered bottles of this frank and cheerful red wine!