Orben Rioja 2018, Rioja Alavesa, Rioja, Spain

Our View:

Orben is an exciting estate in Rioja Alavesa from the same team behind Izadi, established with the aim of producing a single estate Rioja that rivals the best of the region. 

The winemaking team, with Ruth Rodriguez at the head, ensures that the Rioja is distinctively modern in style, with the fruit leading the way and light toasted notes (from 12 months ageing in French oak) being revealed on the slightly smoky finish.

It is a wine of great structure, poise, balance and length and is an award winner from the centre of the golden Rioja mile which features prominently in Michelin restaurants across Spain.

The Wine:

The vineyards benefit from the mitigating influence of the Atlantic Ocean giving the resulting wines fresh acidity, which is important in a very warm climate. This area has the highest percentage of old vines in Rioja. The grapes for this wine come from a selection of 79 plots of an average size of 0.30 hectares, located in Laguardia. The vineyards were planted between 1945 and 1954 and have an average yield of four tonnes per hectare. The bush vine vineyards are planted on sandy soil at an altitude of around 520 metres above sea level.

2018 was a complex year with a generally cold, wet spring delaying budbreak and the damp weather during flowering leading to higher than usual incidences of mildew in the vineyard. Early summer was initially rainy, but a hot August allowed the vines to catch up and ripening occurred gradually through the cooler than usual September which helped the grapes achieve great balance and flavour.

Harvest began mid-October. The grapes were hand picked into 15 kilogram boxes and manually selected on the sorting table. After fermentation in temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks, malolactic fermentation took place in oak and stainless steel. The wine was then aged for 12 months in fine grain French oak (50% new, 50% two year old).

Tasting Note:

This wine is intense garnet red in colour. It is very intense on the nose, with aromas of cherry, blackberry, toffee, toasty oak and a hint of leather. It has a complex and impeccable balance, with a long and aromatic finish.

The Facts:

What the critics say:

“Big, dense, concentrated wine, with layers of spicy, sawdusty oak character and a core of vivid fruit: sun-warmed berries and green fig. A really appealing, youthful wine”. Decanter World Wine Awards 93 points Tasted Jan 2021

“As I saw in the Izadi wines, I noticed better integration of the oak in the red 2018 Orben, as well as more varietal, place and vintage expression. It has medium ripeness and a medium-bodied palate with chalky tannins. This pure Tempranillo comes from small plots of old vines that fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in 50/50 new and second use oak barrels for 14 months.” Luis Gutiérrez, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate - 91 points

“A tight red with blueberry and light vanilla character and wet-earth undertones. It's medium-to full-bodied with linear, rather chewy tannins and a tight finish. Needs time to soften. Better after 2021.” James Suckling - 93 points