Telmo Rodriguez ‘Las Beatas’ Single Vineyard 2020

Allocation Only - Contact us to secure the new vintage.

Bluebells and violet, fennel, cherry blossom and fresh clay soil. It is very floral, very much of the soil, lovely and very delicate. Open, purple and electric. There's pomegranate in the violet, angelica, mountain air, and lots of space in a palate which is fine and clear, featuring very lovely delicate tannins. The brilliant, luminous fruit folds into astonishingly good natural structure, but really it is too good for mere words.

Las Beatas is a spectacular 1.9 hectare property into which Telmo and Pablo have invested tremendous time and energy: 15 years of renovative viticultural work took place before a single bottle was realised. Las Beatas is a 7th century place, unaltered through centuries - a historical field blend and the real taste of (a) Rioja. Telmo and Pablo see it as “a memory of Rioja from long ago, before the industrial Riojas of the 20th century, for which the process is more important than the origin”. Here they have reinstated an antidote to the easy virtues of modern industrial plantings lower down by the river. In las Beatas, they set out to attempt a vineyard Grand Cru – a significant, emotional wine of place. According to the Consejo Regulador at the launch of the first Beatas, this is an “illegal”, “experimental” vineyard. It’s also the history of Rioja.

Las Beatas is close to the hamlet of Briñas, although its village designation is Labastida, and the vineyard is in the Paraje of ‘Vinas Viejas’. Beatas sits beneath the beginning of Sierra de Toloño with the rock of Toloño looming above it to the east (beneath which is Tabuérniga, further east along the sierra). Las Beatas has extremely cold sandy soil facing north-west. There are eleven grape varieties grown on eight terrace levels, predominantly Tempranillo with 30% Garnacha, some Viura and traces of other rare, unidentified cultivars. The vines are densely planted and hand-worked. Purchased as an abandoned place in 1998, Las Beatas has 0.8 hectares of very old field blend material. The rest are young vines massale-selected from the original genetics of the place.

In 2011 a small harvest of the old gear and about 10% of the young plantings yielded 500 bottles; in 2012, 1500 bottles were produced from the old vines plus about 20% of the young vines. Each year since, increasing proportions of young vines bearing the genetic heritage of las Beatas are included in the finished wine. Las Beatas is made and aged in 1200 litre French foudre. One day, this will be known as the Glory of Rioja.