Spain

Quinta Milu is the brain child and family business of Austrian born Germán Blanco and with the help of local expert Javier Collio they are turning Rioja on its head. Germán has created a micro winery and a new style Rioja that involves minimal intervention and zero oak.

Rayos Uva is winemaker Olivier Rivière’s version of a Bourgogne Rouge, sourced from fruit grown in the sandy, gravelly, alluvial soils of the Rioja Baja sub-region in the eastern part of Rioja. This blend of Tempranillo, Graciano, and Garnacha is crafted to convey a brightly fruity version of Rioja unmarked by oak.

2017 was a very challenging year, as most of their vineyards in San Vicente de la Sonsierra in Rioja were affected by frost, unlike others in nearby Laguardia. Not only was it frost, but they also had hail later on in the season. Quantities suffered—they told me they lost 70% of the crop in Rioja that year—but they were happy about the quality of the 2017 Macán, being very careful with the fermentation and separating the press wine by quality.

Dark violet-red in the glass, this wine has a nose of cassis, black cherry and clove. The palate offers a nice combination of fruit and spice with flavors of blackberry, black currant, dark chocolate and licorice, and a note of clove on the finish.