Rioja Soplar Moraza 2023

Rioja Soplar Moraza, organic wine, natural wine, a slightly left field offering from Bodegas Moraza.  Rioja Soplar has zero added sulphites, is unfiltered, has lovely nervous tension and bright red fruits.  Think Pinot Noir rather than Rioja.  This wine is Janire showing how the Tempranillo grape doesn’t always have to make big full bodied wines for long ageing in oak. This Rioja is not really funky on the nose and palate, just super fresh.  An excellent wine showing the bright fruits of the Tempranillo grape, excellent for Paella or some smoked fish.

Janire is the 6th generation winemaker at the Moraza family bodega.

She urged her father and uncle to convert their 18 hectares to organic farming. All the wines are naturally fermented, unfiltered and using only single grape varieties to ensure true expression. They use only cement fermentation vessels for vinification and ageing. One could say these are ‘modern’ Riojas, not because of any gimmickry, but because they are fresh and un-oaked and of course utterly drinkable. Bodegas Moraza began its history six generations ago in San Vicente de la Sonsierra (Rioja Alta), at the foot of the Cantabria and Toloño Mountains in north central Spain. The area is unique for its calcareous clay soils and specific micro climate influenced by the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Cantabrian Seas with warm fresh air during winter and hot, dry summers.Janire says:'Our family’s legacy consists of our profound knowledge of the varieties of grapes we use and our awareness of the environment in which they are grown. The pride we feel for our region spurs our ambition to preserve it. At Bodegas Moraza, we respect the importance of the environment and make every effort to protect its biodiversity, avoiding herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilisers in the cultivation of our grapes. The fact that our winery is supplied solely through grapes from our own vineyards, some of which are certified as 100% organic, is another expression of our social commitment to protecting the environment.' These are delicious and fantastic value wines, made with passion and love and made to express the authentic, not international style of Rioja.