2016 Martelo Reserva Rioja, Torre de Oña

The 2016 Finca Martelo Reserva is a juicy wine, thrilling the mouth with plentiful red and black fruit. A wise and careful ageing process in wood is appreciated in its seductive and well-balanced character and fresh sensations. It makes no attempt to hide the power of its modern profile but the character of a traditional wine and other more evolved touches are never far away. A top-quality Reserva wine produced by a winery steeped in expertise creating classic Rioja wines.

Head winemaker Julio Saenz refers to it as “our little Burgundy” because of how closely it represents this unique location. In fact, the wine itself is a field blend, 95% Tempranillo with 5% other varieties including Mazuelo, Garnacha, and even Viura. The chalk soils and 80-year-old vines at Torre de Oña produce a fuller, riper style of Rioja, while the high altitude and Atlantic influence in Rioja Alavesa keeps the wine fresh and elegant. This style is complemented by the use of 20% French oak and shorter maturation, alongside La Rioja Alta’s ultra-traditional methods such as racking by hand.