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Excelente! Has the potential to stand alongside 2005. Drink 2014–2024

Weather Conditions

This excellent vintage has the potential to stand alongside 2005. The vintage is also benefiting from Rioja’s decision to reduce yields – by 10% for reds, 5% for whites – in order to improve quality. The weather throughout was very favourable. Fruit set was a little later than usual, in June, but the cycle through to harvest was healthy and even. Marcos Eguren, whose eponymous family group owns six wineries in Rioja, says it shows the balance, structure and freshness for long ageing. This is a year when attention will begin to focus on Palacios Remondo, the property in the Rioja Baja that Alvaro Palacios returned to in 2000 to run. His interest in single vineyards and in reviving Garnacha’s status in Rioja are beginning to show results. Drink 2016–2025.

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Jthexton
Jthexton
DWWA, DAWA & Sake Expert

Jeanne Thexton is a wine and sake professional based in the UK. She currently works for Decanter’s events team and was formerly a brand executive working for the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) and the Decanter Asia Wine Awards (DAWA). Prior to that, she worked as assistant web editor on Decanter.com in 2015 and wine awards assistant for DWWA and DAWA in 2014. She also spent two years as the brand ambassador for Isake International and served a short stint the International Wine Challenge.