Bodegas Queirón Rioja Oriental, Spain
Bodegas Queirón Rioja Oriental, Spain
Queirón is a project of the Pérez Cuevas family in the heart of the old winemaking district of Quel, a village to the east of Rioja where wine has long been made in tiny family wineries hewn into the rock. As well as restoring one of these ancient wineries, the project also produces village wines from native varieties, including Garnacha and Tempranillo Blanco, grown in small plots at high altitude.
The winery’s flagship wine El Arca is classified as a “Singular Vineyard” within the Rioja DOCa new classification system introduced in 2017. The regulations stipulate that the wine must be made from vines of at least 35 years of age. In this case, the El Arca vines are much older, over one hundred years.
The vineyard is named after a curious 19th century building located just outside the parcel, where the waters trickling down from the mountains north of Quel are divided into three ditches: one for Arnedo, another for Autol. and a third branch destined for Quel. However, despite feeling the constant flow of liquid, the vines are dry-farmed. With an area of 0.89 hectares, El Arca is a true relic of local viticulture, dating back to at least 1892, with majority Garnacha vines planted alongside white varieties. Its extreme longevity demonstrates the amazing adaptation of the Garnacha variety to this specific area of Rioja.
The wine itself is vibrant with opulent red berry notes and a brooding intensity that has earned it a place among the top wines in Rioja.
For more information:
www.queiron.es
@queironwine
