Torre de Oña, Rioja Alavesa, Spain
"Bodega"
Photo of the Torre de Oña winery estate
Torre de Oña, Rioja Alavesa, Spain
Founded in 1987, boutique winery Torre de Oña is located in Páganos-Laguardia in the Rioja Alavesa, where the microclimate, soil composition and altitude (630 m) shape the grapes’ distinctive character. The 125 ha of estate vineyards, with an average of 46 years of age, are planted exclusively with native varieties, often vinified as field blends of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Viura.
The entirety of the production (yield of 5,000 kg/ha) is controlled following strict environmental criteria and the implementation of research projects and satellite studies. The grapes are harvested exclusively by hand in small 20kg boxes, with refrigerated transport and optical selection of 100% of the grape berries. The state-of-the-art winemaking used to make the wines - currently sold under the labels Finca Martelo and Finca San Martín - is combined with traditional barrel aging, featuring the artisanal racking of all barrels by candlelight.
In 2021, Torre de Oña - owned by the prestigious winery La Rioja Alta, S.A. since 1995 - started a new ambitious strategic project called ‘Viñedos Artesanales’ on the slopes of the Sierra de Cantabria. Roberto Frías, head of the Agricultural Section of Torre de Oña, comments:
“these are vestiges of what was once traditional Rioja viticulture: small plots (0.3 ha on average) of vines that are perfectly integrated into the landscape, located in unique, strategically chosen spots which have remained unaltered over the decades.” They are “old, bush-trained vines with twisted shapes, many over a hundred years old, with different varieties providing a blend from the same vineyard. The nature of the vines almost completely rules out mechanical tending practices and results in very small, top-quality productions.”
"Viñedo Artesanal"
Roberto Frías, Viticultural Director at Torre de Oña, in the Heritage Vineyard ‘El Rumbo’ located Navaridas (Álava). A 0.44-hectare parcel of Tempranillo bush vines planted in 1945.
"El Somo"
Heritage Vineyard ‘El Somo’ located in Elvillar (Álava). A 0.73-ha parcel of Tempranillo and Viura bush vines planted in 1950.
Today, Torre de Oña owns more than 80 ha of these old vines, distributed across more than 185 parcels, and has built a new winery dedicated exclusively to the production of wines from these heritage vineyards.
The first of the Viñedos Artesanales wines will be launched in the last quarter of 2024. Called ‘El Camino’, 2021 will be the first vintage release. Made from 97% Tempranillo and 3% of other varieties (Mazuelo, Garnacha and even Viura); it comes from old bush vines (1.54 ha) with an average age of 80.8 years and a yield of 2,585 kg/ha located in El Pisón, La Revilla, and Las Naves in Elvillar (Álava).
For more information visit:
The social media channels IG & FB are under the name of the leading label from the estate: @fincamartelo
Although on twitter you can find them @torredeona (the winery)