A first-growth Rioja estate

Listed as a Rioja first-growth in Tim Atkin’s 2017 Rioja report, making at least one of Spain’s very best white wines, getting high Parker scores, why is Abel Mendoza not better known? Size is part of the answer. Abel and his wife Maite farm 18 hectares of vineyard themselves, so there was never going to be that much wine to go around. Their vineyards are divided into 37 parcels, all in the lee of the Sierra de Cantabria where many of the greatest Rioja vineyards cluster. They straddle the divide between Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, but Abel has little time for such a wide distinction; as he points out, there are four major soil types in his vineyards alone, each of which contributes greatly (and distinctly) to the wine’s personality. And then each soil type has myriad variations..

While Maite is an oenologist, Abel comes from a long line of vine growers and has very much learnt winemaking on the job. Together, they make a formidably capable couple. Their attitude, taste and winemaking is very Burgundian, very unlike anything else one comes across in Rioja.

Abel is especially proud of his white varieties, which he has spent years recovering by massal selection from vines planted by his grandfather. As well as the distinguished single varietal bottlings, the  5V blend is counted among Spain’s best whites, although the taut, lean style really needs some time to become approachable. Cote Rotie-style, Abel even likes to co-ferment a few white grapes with his red wines for aroma and freshness. The Grano-a-Grano name (berry by berry) of his top reds alludes to the very careful picking and selection style that ensures only the very best fruit gets through.