Aiurri Landua 2022

Aiurri is a Rioja project built by Pedro Ruiz, director of Alma Carraovejas, on plots in the village of Leza at the foot of the Sierra de Toloño in Rioja Alavesa. The name means character in Basque. Rioja Alavesa is prized for its poor, chalk-rich clay-limestone soils and its sheltered position below the mountains, which moderates the climate and helps the grapes hold acidity and aromatic detail. The blend is led by Tempranillo with Garnacha and Graciano and a small white-grape share, farmed under sustainable practices. Landua spends nine months in oak barrels, a measured ageing that lets slow oxygen exchange through the wood soften the tannins and add structure without burying the fruit, while malolactic fermentation rounds the acidity into a smoother texture. The colour is bright cherry red. The nose shows red and dark berries, plum, tobacco leaf and a vanilla and baking-spice lift from the barrel, over an earthy, dried-herb base. The palate is medium bodied and balanced, with fine grippy tannins and the fresh acidity typical of the area, closing savoury and long. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees in a Burgundy or Bordeaux glass. It pairs well with roast lamb, grilled beef and hard sheep cheeses.