Viña Ilusión Blanco, Rioja - 2022

Name: Viña Ilusión Blanco, Rioja
Brand: Viña Ilusión
SKU: 44108
Price: 15.96 USD
Availability: InStock

Item # 44108 750 mL

In the 20th century, a mutated, white version of Tempranillo was discovered and aptly named Tempranillo Blanco. This is a brilliant version. It is cultivated by Martín Alonso Etayo and his wife, Gloria, who run this most incredible estate in the Rioja Baja. Permaculture permeates and it was learned, first-hand, directly from Masanobu Fukuoka.

$15.96/ Single Bottle

$191.52 $172.37/ Case of 12

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Color

White

Vintage

2022

Country

Spain

Region

Rioja

Sub-Region

Rioja Baja

Producer

Viña Ilusión

Grape Variety

Tempranillo Blanco

Production Methods

Organic

Practicing Organic

Wine made from grapes grown without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides in the vineyard.

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Staff Pick Notes

Viña Ilusión is an organic wine grower in Rioja making wonderful, affordable wines. This one is unique in that it is made from the Tempranillo Blanco grape. Yes, mutations of this sort exist in the wine world (Pinot Blanc or Gris anyone?). So while the Tempranillo Blanco shares 97.8% of the DNA with Tempranillo Rojo, that 2.2% makes a big visual difference and transforms the taste as well. On the nose, I got aromas of honey and honeydew melon, with bright acidity and a dry, mineral finish.

- JGM

Glossary

Spain

Central to the Spanish winemaking philosophy is the belief that wine should be released only when it is ready to be consumed, and not a moment before. Spanish wine law focuses squarely on this issue: the terms Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva are highly regulated indicators of the amount of time a wine has aged prior to its release. In Rioja, Navarra, and the Ribera del Duero (which have the most stringent requirements) red Crianzas must be aged a minimum of two years; Reservas, at least three...

Tempranillo

A.k.a. Cencibel. Just about synonymous with Spanish wine, the red Tempranillo grape has now fully won over the hearts and minds of critics and amateur oenophiles all over the world. The best bottles are powerful and ageworthy, and are beginning to fetch prices you'd never have expected from Spanish wines just a few years ago. Tempranillo is often used in blends with Bordeaux grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and has lately been grown with considerable success outside of Spain, in...

Blanco

White tequila, an official type (tipo) for tequila bottled fresh from the still, or allowed to rest in stainless steel tanks for up to sixty days before bottling. It is never aged in wooden barrels. Also known as plata, plato, and silver tequila. Usually the most robust, strong-flavoured of the tequila types.

Rioja

The origin of Spanish winemaking, Rioja has been the benchmark for Spanish wines in the international market for over two hundred years, and remains so to this day. Tempranillo is the star of the red wines here, though its expression can vary wildly from producer to producer. Traditionally-styled Riojas tend to be subtle and soft, and often have high levels of acidity to ensure their survival through the lengthy ageing process. The more modern producers are making powerful, dark,...