Telmo Rodriguez is one of the “new wave” Spanish winemakers. His family owns the highly regarded Rioja estate, Remurelli, and although he left that estate in the 1990s and set off on his own, he is familiar and at home with making Rioja. His Rioja estate, located in the village of Lanciego, produces three wines. This one, a blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo, comes from what he calls his “younger” (30-40 year old) vines and from his neighbors’ vineyards. Quite ripe, but not over done, it has wonderful freshness. An attractive earthy, “not-just-fruit” component is a lovely counterweight to its considerable power and give it an appealing complexity which could be classified as “modern,” but it is not over done or over-oaked. I think it is very difficult to find the line between modern and traditional here. It has a power and refinement that makes it very appealing, especially at the price. Don’t miss it.
