Jorge Ordóñez’s Latest Gem from Rioja Alavesa
I don’t use the word serendipitous very often, but this was serendipity. I was tasting through a number of wines for the Flash, and this wine wasn’t on the list I was expecting. No one really knew why it was there, it just seemed like it must have been a warehouse mistake when bottles were pulled to sample. And this just ended up being the best wine on the table. I love it when a plan comes together. Vino Villota offers a fresh, elegant take rooted in tradition but shaped by a modern sensibility. The 2019 Vino Villota Estate Red is a striking example of this new wave — and as a Jorge Ordóñez Selection, it carries the seal of one of Spain’s most respected and discerning importers. Though the name may be new to many, the Villota family has been at the heart of Rioja Alavesa for generations. Their estate, Finca San Rafael, lies just outside Laguardia on a site long revered for its limestone-rich soils and cool climate. For decades, the fruit from these vineyards went into some of the top wines of CVNE. In recent years, led by Pilar Pérez de Villota, the family has reclaimed their fruit and launched a deeply personal project under their own name. The 2019 Estate Red is a co-fermented blend of Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha, and Mazuelo from old vines grown without irrigation. It’s fermented naturally, with aging in a mix of concrete and used barrels, resulting in a wine that emphasizes clarity, freshness, and vineyard expression. There’s dark cherry, blackberry, and crushed herbs on the nose, followed by a textured, smoky, mineral-laced palate with refined tannins and a clean, focused finish. This is Rioja stripped of artifice — no heavy oak, no formula — just careful farming and thoughtful winemaking from one of the region’s great sites. Jorge Ordóñez’s involvement ensures that this is a wine selected not just for its story, but for its quality and authenticity.
93 points, Vinous
"Deep, lurid ruby. Mineral- and smoke-accented blackberry, cherry and tobacco scents pick up floral and vanilla accents with air. Sappy, expansive black and blue fruit and violet pastille flavors open up steadily, energized by a spicy topnote. Concentrated yet lively in style, with a smoky mineral quality that adds cut to the impressively long, floral- and spice-driven finish.””
94 Points, Wine Enthusiast
