Viña Salceda La Rellanilla 2024

Viña Salceda makes La Rellanilla in Rioja Alavesa, from a 5.5 hectare plot of the same name planted in 2020 above Laguardia. The site sits between the Sierra de Cantabria and the Ebro valley, where vines draw both the humid Atlantic air from the north and the dry, extreme influence of the Meseta to the south. That meeting of climates, on calcareous clay soils at altitude, gives this Tempranillo freshness and a firm acid line despite the warm 14.5% ripeness. The wine is a village expression and is aged six months in amphora and concrete rather than oak. These neutral, porous vessels allow a slow micro-oxygenation that softens the tannins while leaving the fruit and the soil's mineral character unmasked by wood. The colour is a deep cherry red. The nose shows red plum, cherry and dried herbs over a stony, savoury base. The palate is medium bodied, fresh and chalky-textured, the tannins ripe and the finish dry and mineral. This is modern, terroir-led Rioja made for early drinking. Serve at 16 degrees. It suits roast lamb and Iberian pork.