The prestigious British Master of Wine Tim Atkin has recognised the work of Bodegas Tarón. In his Rioja 2024 Special Report, this influential critic has awarded more than 90 points -the equivalent of a Silver medal- to two of our wines: Tarón Cepas Centenarias 2019 (92 points) and Tarón Patiens 2017 (91 points).

Of the former, Atkin highlights: “Cepas Centenarias comes from a one-hectare plot in the cool-climate El Monte subzone of Cuzcurrita. Aged for 24 months in new French oak, it is an intense, bright and seductive wine. Tempranillo perfumed with lots of racy acidity, perfumed wood spices, savoury, tobacco leaf tannins and fruits of pomegranate, raspberry and redcurrant”.

Of the second, he details the following: “Sourced from the highlands of Cuzcurrita, this elegant Viura varietal was fermented and aged for 36 months in American oak. Mellow, textured and spicy, with hints of citrus and orange zest and a spicy background of coconut and vanilla”.

Our winery received the always welcome visit of Tim Atkin in October, during his three-week trip to La Rioja. During this time, the MW visited 600 wineries and tasted more than 1,300 samples of wine from the DOCa Rioja.

 

 

This is not the first time that Atkin has given an excellent rating to our wines and our way of working and understanding wine. In fact, Bodegas Tarón was named ‘Cooperative of the Year’ in the last edition of its Rioja Special Report. A great pride for the more than 200 members and families that make up the cooperative.

About the wines

Tarón Cepas Centenarias 2019. The wisdom of generations turned into wine. Its grapes come from a centenary vineyard dating back to 1915 located in Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón, in Rioja Alta, specifically in the El Monte area, at an altitude of 600 metres above sea level. These vineyards have a yield of 3,000 kilos per hectare and, like all centenary vineyards, have a very important accumulation of wood, where the plant stores all the reserves to produce grapes of excellent quality and unique personality year after year.

The grapes are harvested by hand in boxes of 15 kilograms. They are carefully taken to the winery, where a selection table eliminates those grapes or parts of the bunch that do not give the right profile for its elaboration. The grapes are specially selected to form part of Tarón Cepas Centenarias. They come from small bunches, with loose berries and light weight. In this way, there is a better relationship between the skin and the pulp, and a more concentrated wine is obtained. In its production, priority is given to respecting the fruit as much as possible. It is cold macerated for the first few days and during fermentation it is pumped over daily. At the end of alcoholic fermentation, the wine is transferred to new French oak barrels where it remains for 18 months. For the final composition, the wine is tasted barrel by barrel. When it is ready, it is bottled and rests in a bottle with controlled temperature and humidity for at least 18 months before being released onto the market.

Tarón Patiens. An immortal wine, made in the tradition of the historic white wines of Rioja Alta. It is a single varietal Viura obtained from small plots of vines between 50 and 90 years old, located in the Tarón territory, in the winery’s surroundings. The vines are goblet-trained and planted in clay-limestone soils at an altitude of 550 to 600 metres above sea level.

The grapes are harvested by hand, using environmentally friendly viticulture to produce quality wines. After this selection in the vineyard itself, the grapes are gently pressed and the first must is harvested naturally. Fermentation begins in stainless steel tanks. During the first year of ageing, the wine is aged on its own lees and remains in barrels for a further three years. Once bottled, it rests for 6 months before being released onto the market, giving it refinement and roundness.