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.

Merino is the poster child of NEW Rioja. His wines are as intense and transparent as any of the world’s greatest boutique producers, and that shows in the huge demand they have drummed up, being one of the first of the movement to gain a cult following. Of all his wines, the white is the one people seek most since Wine Advocate raved that “it has a little Burgundian accent, but it’s clearly Riojan.”

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

94 Points – Tim Atkin MW “Miguel Merino makes this exceptional white from an equal mix of Viura and Garnacha Blanca, both sourced from old-vine parcels in Briones. Gently wooded in 500-litre barrels, it’s a wine that’s inspired by white Burgundy, with struck match reduction, layers of lime, citrus and lanolin, and a persistent finish. Drink 2024-2030.”

93+ Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “Miguel Merino has 7.3 hectares of vineyard, all in Briones, divided into 16 plots planted between 1918 and 2023. In addition, he controls about six hectares more from four external suppliers, also in Briones. Production is 60,000 bottles. He’s been on a roll since he took over in 2017 from his late father. The white 2022 Blanco was produced with 50/50 Garnacha Blanca (planted in 1946 in their La Loma vineyard) and Viura from various old plots. They were fermented separately in 500-liter oak barrels, where the wine matured with lees for 10 months. The objective is to keep the Rioja typicity but with acidity, freshness and minerality more than oak aromas and flavors. The wine has a moderate 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.2 coupled with almost seven grams of acidity, so the freshness and acidity are there. The wine is floral and herbal, and the oak is unnoticeable; it finishes very tasty, almost salty. 3,712 bottles were filled in September 2023. Drink 2024-2028.”