Telmo Rodríguez 'Yjar' Rioja 2019

This is Telmo Rodriguez new project in Rioja, made from old-vines. 2017 marks the first vintage of one of the most exciting new projects in Rioja in recent memory. Extremely limited.

"I tasted this at the property from barrel, thrilled to follow it now in bottle. Grabs you from the first moments with its sage, thyme, dried flowers and incense aromatics, clings to your nostrils, drawing you in, so much depth of flavour to the vivid raspberry and sour cherry fruits, delicate and yet powerful. Hard to describe how little artifice is conveyed in the glass, it's not a wine that is coated in new oak, instead it is delicate, poised, crafted, utterly gorgeous, so moreish. Harvest October 6 to 18, 3.8ha, old gobelet vines, with any replacements coming from massal selction. Iconic winemaking partnership Telmo Rodriguez and Pablo Eguzkiza. I hope everyone folllowed my advice from the first vintage to get on board because it is more than living up to its potential, and its tiny quatities means that first come are almost certainly first served." - 100 points, Jane Anson

"A more fragrant Yjar this year, more peppery and lifted. Chalk, pepper and mezcal-like herbs with hints of cedar and cocoa powder to the blueberries. Super refined tannins tread carefully on the medium- to full-bodied palate with great juiciness and a long, polished finish. An intrinsic expression. Already delicious now, but will hold, too." - 99 points, James Suckling (Ranked #49 in James Suckling Top 100 wines of 2023)

"The new wine by oenologist-winemaker Telmo Rodriguez, was definitely one of the wines of the tasting. It is a 3.8-hectare, single-vineyard cuvée from the limestone foothills of the Sierra de Toloño in Rioja Alavesa and made from a massal selection of Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha, Granegro and Rojal. A gorgeously dense and rich nose, concentrated and a balanced combination of perfumed elements, fruit and spices - cherries, ripe plums and liquorice. Tannins gently settle on the tongue but the flavours are impactful and so precise. It’s a bold wine but seriously defined and charming, super fresh and elegant. And you really feel the limestone terroir in the clarity and cleanliness of flavour. Superb." - Decanter, 98 points 

3-pack Available in OWC (Original Wooden Case)

Producer: Telmo Rodríguez

Country: Spain

Region: La Rioja

Varietal: Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha

Appellation: Rioja

Vintage: 2019

Size: 750ml