Wines with
selected grapes
For our IZENA selected vineyard wine, we reserve the best grapes from the best vineyards: grapes from plots that are more than 60 years old, located in the upper area of Villabuena de Álava at an altitude of 530 meters above sea level. The vineyards are sheltered from the cold northerly winds and oriented to the midday sun, so that the maturation of the grape occurs in the most optimal way possible. Clay-calcareous soils.
The same goes for our Liorro wine. A unique wine, from 1960 vineyards.
- Extension
- 40 Hectares
- Soil type
- Calcareous clay
- Grapes
- Tempranillo, Viura, Garnacha
- Area
- Rioja Alavesa
Soil
Calcareous clay. Balanced, slightly alkaline soils, poor in organic matter, which makes them excellent for obtaining good wines. To which is added a moderate availability of rain in summer.
Climate
The Atlantic and Mediterranean climates converge. The Atlantic climate is humid and cold while the Mediterranean is dry and with mild temperatures. The confluence of these climates provides ideal temperatures and rainfall for the development of the vine.
Grapes
Most of the grape we use is Tempranillo. Then there is the Viura and finally the Garnacha.
With the best grape
Location of our vineyards
For the red wine
Tempranillo
The Tempranillo grape variety comes from two other varieties: the Albillo mayor and the Benedicto. The first variety -called Turruntés in La Rioja- is a well-known variety that is grown in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula.
The Tempranillo grape is a red grape with a thick skin. It grows best at relatively high altitudes, but can also tolerate much warmer climates. Tempranillo wines can be consumed when young, but the most expensive are aged in oak barrels for several years. The wines are ruby red in colour, with aromas of berries, plums, tobacco, vanilla, leather and grass.
The Tempranillo grape produces a must that is balanced in sugars, colours and acidity, although the latter is sometimes scarce. It has a frank bouquet, interesting in young wines and velvety once aged. It is considered a preferred variety and for some years now has been the variety that occupies the largest area in the Rioja Designation wines.
for white wines
Viura
The Viura or Macabeo grape is one of the most widespread varieties in Spain. It is a high yield plant, very sensitive to the botrytis cinerea fungus, is resistant to frost and its cultivation is greatly increasing. Its clusters are compact and large in size. The berries are large, have fine skin and are a golden colour. Its aromas resemble those of the palomino grape variety but this grape has more colour and body, giving the wines a characteristic romantic touch depending on the fermentation time.
Its average alcoholic composition is 13º alcohol. It produces a wine with a delicate aroma, one that is pale straw coloured with green tones. This grape does not usually produce wine with a high alcohol content, with content usually falling between 9 and 10.5%.
The Viura grape is used to make slightly acidic white wines, suitable for early consumption. The wine is pale and light, reminiscent of green fruits. The Macabeo variety is traditionally mixed with the Xarel•lo and Parellada varieties to make cava, the best known sparkling wine in Spain. It is also the most common variety for white Rioja wines.
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