Bodegas Riojanas is presenting on the market a new, top-quality white wine under its historic Viña Albina brand, one of the most emblematic in the D.O. Calificada Rioja. Highly representative of classic Reservas, it was the winery’s first brand, named after Albina, the wife of one of its founders. On occasion of its 125th anniversary, the winery has included this select white in the renowned range of wines sold under the Viña Albina brand.
The personality and differentiation of the new 2014 vintage Viña Albina must be sought in the source of the grapes used to make it. They are several plots which belong to the family since the winery was founded —Los Paletones, Agudillo, Llanillo and El Romeral. They are situated in the higher and cooler areas of Cenicero where the soils are looser, optimum for white varieties and particularly for older Rioja Viura vines. The age of the vines —over fifty years old—, the nature of the soil and the traditional growing methods employed, these plots have yields which are 50% lower than determined by the region’s regulations, resulting in exceptional fruit quality. The grapes are picked manually and transported in small 3.000 kg trailers to prevent oxidation.
Painstaking grape selection and vinification provide the following tasting results for the 2014 vintage Viña Albina Blanco: Pale, bright yellow with green reflections; intense, elegant aromas, with fresh, fruity nuances and floral notes against a background of sweet spices. Fresh, complex and flavoursome in the mouth, with a well-balanced acidity and volume.
Founded in Cenicero in 1890 by the Frías and Artacho winemaking families, Bodegas Riojanas is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a programme of activities spanning 2015. This includes the presentation of new wines, such as the Viña Albina Blanco. The firm has turned into a dynamic winemaking group, present in seven designations of origin yet retains a marked family character under the leadership of the descendants of the founders.
