2019 Yjar, Telmo Rodriguez, Rioja, Spain

Description

There’s just something incredible about YJAR. Made from 3.8ha of very special vineyards within the sanctity of Telmo Rodríguez’s Granja Ntra Sra Remelluri estate in the foothills of the Sierra de Toloño, the wine has a magical energy about it. It just glows in the glass with a vibrant, bright red cherry colour. The aromas are incredibly complex and almost hard to grasp: cherry blossom, lilac, and herbs vie with an intense yet delicate blood orange character and an incense top note. Lovely.

The palate is still tight at this stage, suggesting this has a very long way ahead of it, but it is wonderfully bright and refreshing. The tannins are delicate and chalky, yet the palate is still coated with sweet red cherry, Grenache-style fruit. Telmo says he wanted this wine to have a white pepper feel to it, and this sensation of spice lingers on the endless finish. This is a wine of gorgeous balance and ultimate poise. Superb.

Drink 2025 to 2045+

Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)

Colour Red

Sweetness Dry

Vintage 2019

Maturity Not ready

Grape List Tempranillo,Graciano,Garnacha,Other Varieties

Body Full Bodied

Producer Telmo Rodriguez

Critics reviews

Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW 99/100

A single-vineyard wine from a 3.8 ha plot with a field blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Granegro and Rojal on a loam-calcareous soil, selected after several years of site research. At the heart of Rioja Alavesa. It is one of the most delicate, complex and deep Rioja wines I have ever tasted, a real jewel with accurate aromatic definition, precise and intense expression and, most of all, an amazing mouthfeel, with extremely fine grain and perfect balance. The finish is very slow and multi-layered, a feast for the senses, but I retain that unforgettable tact as the most appealing characteristic.Drink 2023 - 2078Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, Decanter.com (August 2023)

Drink 2023 - 2078

Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, Decanter.com (Aug 2023)

Shuai Zekun 99/100

A more fragrant Yjar this year, more peppery and lifted. Chalk, pepper and mezcal-like herbs with hints of cedar and cocoa powder to the blueberries. Super refined tannins tread carefully on the medium- to full-bodied palate with great juiciness and a long, polished finish—an intrinsic expression. It's already delicious now, but it will hold, too.shuai_zekun, Senior Editor for jamessuckling_com (November 2023)

Drink 2023 - 2078

Shuai Zekun, JamesSuckling.com (Nov 2023)

About this wine

Tempranillo/Tinto Fino

A high quality red wine grape that is grown all over Spain except in the hot South - it is known as Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero, Cencibel in La Mancha and Valdepenas and Ull de Llebre in Catalonia. Its spiritual home is in Rioja and Navarra where it constitutes around 70% of most red blends.

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Telmo Rodriguez

Telmo Rodriguez is one of the great Spanish winemakers. He travelled and learnt for many years before returning home to Rioja. In addition, he supervises négociant projects throughout Spain. One of his most acclaimed projects is in Ribera del Duero.

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