2021 Akutain Cosecha Rioja

Winemaker Notes: The wine is youthful and very expressive delivering an abundance of high-toned, red fruit character with background flavors of spice. On the palate, the wine is fresh and juicy with a medium body and light, airy finish.

Four decades of history have created an incredible wine that is still very much an underdog in a region dominated by big names. Juan Peñagaricano Akutain was an engineer in the Basque region, working more on the wine equipment than the wine itself. However, with many tastings and learning from many of the wineries that put Rioja as a wine region on the map, Juan decided to plant his own vineyards in 1975. His desire was to work only with his own fruit and to control every step of the farming and winemaking. He purchased a horse and strived to make wines in the traditional style of the famed wine houses of the region. Less than 20 acres of vines means the estate is manageable. Juan's son has now taken over the day-to-day operations.