There’s a NEW Rioja, and representing that, here’s a whole other realm of 5-10 case lots of WHITES comparable to the greatest in the world, by up-and-coming producers that make just a barrel or two.

This year, an Antonio Galloni’s Vinous article titled The Many Riojas of Rioja: A Tale of Forking Paths confirmed what Agent Noir witnessed firsthand during his most recent visit: “Today, Rioja has two speeds. The first is set by the big producers who are responsible for the region’s worldwide fame and its association with extensive oak aging. The second is the more dynamic side, where producers display pride in their place of origin and stylistic choices, more interested in bringing out individual characters than adhering to an established style.”

Perhaps Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate explains this evolution (or revolution if you will) best with this example: “Rioja had a structure that might be closer to (old) Champagne than to any of the other regions from France, where large wineries would source grapes from small growers and produce branded wines, which would more often than not be blends. But just like Champagne changed from that single model to having more vignerons, that is also happening more and more in Rioja. These grape growers stopped selling their grapes or wines and started bottling and selling them themselves.”

They fascinatingly coexist and thrive today. The most established big producers continue to ratchet up quality, while the tiniest ones redefine the region’s potential of individual terroirs.

Ausejo is THE MAN when it comes to WHITE Garnacha. This on-the-rise varietal, in the right hands, can express itself like the best dry Chenin Blancs of the Loire Valley, and then some. Per Wine Advocate “The whole range was truly impressive.” Agreed wholeheartedly.

This is all we were allocated. What you see is what you get.

94 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “Víctor Ausejo is a young grower who started in 2018 and is releasing his first reds (he started with Garnacha Blanca whites only): a red Garnacha and a Mazuelo/Cariñena. He’s slowly growing, and in 2023, he will produce 10,000 bottles. The whole range was truly impressive. There is great varietal purity in the nose of the 2022 Garnacha Blanca, which shows notes of waxy apples, herbs and a vibrant and effervescent palate with great acidity and pungent flavors. Truly impressive. It has a moderate 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.18 coupled with 6.8 grams of acidity. It comes from vines planted in 2016 at 546 meters above sea level. It was fermented and matured in 500-liter oak barrels for 10 months. Really impressive! 2,089 bottles were filled in September 2023.”