Valenciso
Rioja Reserva – 2018
Region: Spain - La Rioja
Valenciso
VALENCISO was born in 1998 when Luis Valentín and Carmen Enciso (Valen-Ciso, Val-en-THEECE-oh), Rioja natives with extensive experience in the region, joined their surnames to make a single wine in the winery of their dreams in La Rioja Alta.
Minority partners include former managers of Radoux, makers of the finest French oak barriques, and growers in the best areas of the Rioja Alta.
Valenciso’s objective is to produce a limited number of wines of the highest quality and authenticity. The flagship wine is released as Reserva. The very best Tempranillo grapes come from mature, low-yielding vineyards. Careful harvesting is timed to capture the intensity of the fruit, while avoiding over ripeness or excessive alcohol levels. Aromatic lift rather than physical weight – in the manner of French Burgundy and the greatest Riojas of the past – is the Valenciso ideal. Aging takes place in the finest cork-grade (flor) French oak barriques, one-third replaced each year. Time in oak depends upon vintage characteristics and is determined after exhaustive tasting. The Valenciso wines are balanced offering early accessibility, structure, fresh acidity and fruit intensity promising many years of bottle evolution.
Cement tanks are used for winemaking because they respect the vividness and contribute to the wine’s longevity. Aging in French oak barrels gives elegance and richness.
The Wine
Vineyard Profile
From Ollauri, Briones, Rodezno, Haro and Villalba estate vineyards in the north of Rioja Alta.
- Altitude: 1633-2000 feet/507–610 meters
- Soil: Clay-calcareous, chalky white
- Vineyards benefit from cooling Altantic ocean influence
- Sustainably farmed and following organic principles
Harvest Notes
- Cold and rainy winter and spring – rainfall 40% avove average of last 10 years
- Constant vineyard monitoring to reduce disease pressure was rewarded
- Late summer heat led to wonderful, slow September and October ripening
- Harvest began later with excellent development and under optimal conditions
- Hand harvested October 12 – 29, 2018
- Fermented in concrete vat with only indigenous yeasts
- Malolactic fermentation in concrete in May 2019
- Aged 18 months in French oak barrels
- Aged 12 more months in concrete where it settled
- No clarification – suitable for vegans
Winemaker's Notes
“The finesse of cold vintages:” this Reserva Tempranillo has the subtlety, finesse and liveliness that characterise cool vintages, so rare in this century. It reveals the elegance and freshness of northern Tempranillo, in perfect balance with the spicy notes of fine grained French oak.
Wine Summary
100% Tempranillo; alcohol: 14%; Ollauri, Briones, Rodezno, Haro and Villalba estate vineyards in the north of Rioja Alta between 1663–2000 feet; clay-calcareous soil; hand harvested October 12 – 29; fermented in concrete vats using only indigenous yeasts; spontaneous malolactic fermentation March 2019 in concrete; aged 18 months in 100% French oak; wine transferred to concrete for 12 months to further age and settle before bottling; vegan friendly.
Technical Information
- 100% Tempranillo
- Alcohol: 14%
- Vegan friendly
Reviews
93 Points
The 2018 Reserva reveals developed aromas and a polished palate, tasty, almost salty flavors and a long, dry finish. It has notes of leather and meat and felt surprisingly ripe despite the cooler year, but the longer and slow growing season ripened the grapes thoroughly to 14.5% alcohol. It matured in French oak barrels, one-third of them new, for 18 months. It was bottled in December 2021. 2023 – 2028
Valenciso is one of the most reliable medium-size producers (150,000 bottles) from Rioja, combining modernity and tradition. In 2023, they celebrated their 25th anniversary—congratulations! That year, they also finished a project to reduce sulfites in their wines. Since 2017, their vineyards (31 hectares all around Haro and their winery in Ollauri) are organic (but the wines don’t carry certifications for now).
© Wine Advocate, February, 2024
94 Points
A more layered and refined Rioja here that shows fragrant berries, black cherries, plums, peppercorns, pencil shavings and graphite. Juicy and linear on the palate with a medium body and structured but creamy tannins. Turns more expansive in the finish with excellent length. Very classy and almost a bit Bordelais. Delicious already, but should hold well for the next five to seven years.
jamessuckling.com, January, 2024
17 Points
100% Tempranillo. From a blend of vineyards owned by Valenciso. Two years in concrete and then 19 months in French oak.
Deep blackish crimson. Nicely composed on the nose and palate. Readier than the Finca Valpiedra Reserva 2016. A wine with a beginning, middle and end, with real substance. 2023 – 2033
JancisRobinson.com, February, 2025
93 Points
Depth and finesse reveal a sophisticated Rioja with plenty of flavor and the structure to continue developing with a few more years in bottle. A mix of dark fruits, graphite, and well-integrated spice through a long finish.
Wine Enthusiast, April, 2025
91 Points
The 2018 Reserva Valenciso from Rioja Alta was aged for 19 months in oak. Garnet in hue, it presents aromas of ripe fruit, undergrowth and jam balanced by subtle oak. This is medium-bodied, with lively, finely grained tannins and a long, textured finish. It is a plush, modern expression of Rioja. 2025 – 2035
Vinous, May, 2025
General Info
| COUNTRY | SPAIN |
| REGION | LA RIOJA |
| APPELLATION | D.O.C. RIOJA, SUB APPELLATION Rioja Alta |
| PROPRIETORS | Luis Valentín and Carmen Enciso |
| FOUNDED | 1998 |
| WINEMAKER | Luis Valentín and Carmen Enciso |
| ANNUAL PRODUCTION | 9,166 9L cases |
| FARMING (SUSTAINABLE, ORGANIC, BIODYNAMIC) | Organically farmed since 2006 – no herbicides, pesticides or insecticides |