2016 Pujanza Finca Valdepoleo (750ml)

Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain

B-21 Top Recommendation
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While some Spanish wines have a reputation for over delivering, this beautifully crafted 94 pt. 2016 Pujanza Finca Valdepoleo Rioja tops the chart, a stunning, single vineyard Rioja crafted from 100% old vine Tempranillo. From "one of the leading names in modern Rioja" according to the Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez and a "First Growth" of Rioja by critic Tim Atkin , the powerful 94 pt. 2016 Pujanza Valdepoleo layers fresh exuberant fruit hinting of earthy spice with brilliant, lively acidity, delivering noteworthy depth and unbeatable value.

Founded in Rioja Alavesa in 1998 by winemaker Carlos San Pedro at the age of 25, Bodegas Pujanza produces estate-grown single-vineyard, high-altitude wines crafted by Carlos to reflect each parcel’s unique soil and characteristics. Located at elevations averaging 630 meters in the foothills of the breathtaking Sierra de Cantabria Mountains, the 17.5 hectare Valdepoleo vineyard surrounds the winery near the walled medieval village of Laguardia, where Carlos' family has been growing grapes for five generations. Planted nearly 50 years ago in a mix of clay and limestone soils that naturally limit yields, Carlos has divided the high altitude Valdepoleo vineyard into seven unique parcels according to soil type, working each plot separately from harvest to cask aging and vinifying each parcel separately in stainless steel. Blending the parcels through blind tasting to craft his unique expression of the Valdepoleo vineyard, Carlos aged the 2016 Pujanza Valdepoleo for 14 months in new and used French oak, yielding fresh, juicy fruit of precision and purity over a framework of focused, integrated tannins and a polished, smooth finish, described as “a great Valdepoleo” by the Wine Advocate's Gutierrez.

Sourced from “a Spanish vintage for the ages” according to the Wine Enthusiast, the muscular and opulent 2016 Pujanza Valdepoleo deftly balances power and elegance to uniquely reflect its single vineyard terroir, an immensely enjoyably Rioja bargain priced for Spanish wine lovers and collectors to enjoy often over the next few years.

94JS

93WA

Now here’s a Rioja where the wood hasn’t been dialed up, and it’s all the better for it. It’s an idiosyncratic wine with heather, forest floor, blackberries and cumin and cinnamon. Full-bodied and very focused on the center palate, it trades in medium-chewy tannins and a spicy finish. Drink now.

94 points, James Suckling (Jul 2019)

I was speculating whether 2016 could be a modern version of 2010 even though the climate pattern was quite different, and when tasting the 2016 Finca Valdepoleo with Carlos San Pedro, he told me he wasn't very happy with his 2010s and that he preferred the 2007s. There is great finesse and elegance here, in the winery's modern style with a lively palate and great acidity. This is produced with grapes from a vineyard planted in the 1970s that is almost 15 hectares, and it basically goes to this wine. The vineyard is vinified in seven different plots, and since 2013, when they harvested early and did a softer vinification, it has gained in precision; in a way, this 2016 could be the modern version of that 2013. It has very fine tannins, nicely integrated oak and a tasty, almost salty finish that makes you salivate. A great Valdepoleo. 56,000 bottles produced.

93+ points, Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate (Issue # 243 - Jun 2019)

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$29.99

60+ bottles in stock. Ships in 1 to 2 business days.

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