Ingenium Orange 2023

Vinedos Ruiz Jimenez the result of a dream come true when in 1998, Francisco Ruiz, decided to build his own winery to use the grapes he was growing, instead of selling them. All the vineyards are organically farmed in the small village of Aldeanueva de Ebro in Rioja. The idea was to offer the best quality, most terroir expressive wines that the land has to offer using only organic and sustainable parameters. This was quite a rare idea in Rioja back in 1998 but he knew that organic and biodynamic was the only way to give quality and terroir to the wines. Today they are the only organic and Demeter certified winery in Rioja. Winemaking Detail: The grapes are hand-harvested and arrive at the winery within 4 hours. The full grape enters into a concrete egg where they do 3 manual battonage during the first 36 hours, just before fermentation. The wine also ferments in concrete and once it finishes the concrete egg is closed and the skins and the juice is left to blend for 3 weeks. They then separate the wine from the skins and leave the wine to age for 3 months in concrete. After, just a very mild filtration and bottling.

The grapes are hand-harvested and arrive at the winery within 4 hours. The full grape enters into a concrete egg where they do 3 manual battonage during the first 36 hours, just before fermentation. The wine also ferments in concrete and once it finishes the concrete egg is closed and the skins and the juice is left to blend for 3 weeks. They then separate the wine from the skins and leave the wine to age for 3 months in concrete. After, just a very mild filtration and bottling.

Golden orange colour with a hint of copper. Aromatic; perfumed nose; with expressive notes of baked Apricot; chamomile tea and purple flowers. The pallet is surprisingly soft; with fine; grainy tainnins; delicate stone fruit and bright acidity with a hint of sweetness. A very elegant orange wine.

Charcuterie, Pasta, Potato terrine

Rioja is arguably the best known wine region the world, and especially in the UK where year on year we buy about a third of their total global export. The c.600 winery-strong region, set across the communities of La Rioja, Navarre, and the Basque province of Álava is the spiritual home of Tempranillo. At c.140km from the North coast it benefits from a real continental climate. Moderated by the Cantabiran mountains to the north the best sites, at 400-800m, are in the subregions of Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. Whites are made from Viura but these days Rioja is over 85% red. Oak aging (and choice of oak) plays a huge role, with wines made Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva all having their own distinctive styles and fans.