Telmo Rodríguez, Las Beatas 2017, D.O. Rioja, red wine, 0.75l

Telmo Rodríquez is a Spanish winery founded in 1994. It has a worldwide reputation as a pioneer championing Spanish winemaking, a travelling oenologist and a "driving wine-maker". It earned this reputation mainly by travelling to individual regions to make wines from a single harvest using only the region's native varieties. It also devotes special care to restoring forgotten vineyards. The Telmo Rodríquez brand reflects an immense love of wine and fine winemaking craft.

Telmo Rodríguez Las Beatas 2017 is a unique red wine from a small vineyard of approximately 1.9 ha in the upper part of Rioja Alavesa (Labastida), where soils formed mainly of continental conglomerates, sandstone and marl outcrops give the wine exceptional mineral depth and a distinctive terroir signature.
Vineyard: This remarkable vineyard project represents an attempt to reach "grand cru" level in Rioja, where old vines meet younger plantings on the terraces, and where eight to nine traditional native varieties are grown, primarily Tempranillo together with Garnacha, Graciano and white Garnacha, giving the resulting wine a complex genetic and aromatic character.
Over more than twenty years the plot has been carefully restored, and today Las Beatas is considered one of the most distinctive expressions of historic Rioja terroir.

Grape varieties: a traditional field blend including Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and white Garnacha, which together create a complex fruit and structural profile, combining intensity with elegance.

2017 Las Beatas production followed traditional methods: the grapes were hand-picked at optimal ripeness, fermented using native yeasts in open oak tanks of up to 3,000 l and then aged for 14–16 months in large French oak foudres (1,200 l), which give the wine a fine structure and depth without a dominant woody character.

Production was extremely limited, approximately 1,501 bottles, making Las Beatas one of the rarest wines in Telmo Rodríguez's portfolio and a real treasure for collectors and lovers of terroir expressions alike.

Aromatic profile and taste: 2017 Las Beatas shows itself as a wine with very subtle and elegant aromatics, blending fresh floral tones and delicate red fruit with mineral depth, light balsamic nuances and delicate spiciness. On the nose it is often described as delicate, mysterious and layered with every swirl of the glass. On the palate the wine is balanced, with fine, silky tannins, lively acidity and a long, uplifting finish, leaving an impression of purity, energy and complexity, with a very fine thread running through the whole body of the wine. 2017 Las Beatas is considered a wine full of light and energy, which reflects a demanding year with frost and dry conditions, yet still offered an exceptionally elegant, harmonious and deep expression of Rioja terroir.

Food pairing: Telmo Rodríguez Las Beatas 2017 is a complex and elegant red wine, best suited to dishes that can support its finesse, depth and terroir character. It pairs beautifully with red meat, such as grilled beef, roast lamb or game, where it highlights the structure and spicy notes of the meat. It also works very well with stewed and slow-roasted dishes, such as beef ragù or roast veal, and with mature cheeses such as Manchego or Pradó Lambón, which harmonise with the wine's mineral and fruity component. Lightly spiced dishes with herbs, such as thyme, rosemary or black pepper, bring out the wine's layered flavour and long finish.
The recommended serving temperature is 16–18 °C, ideally after decanting, so the aroma and complex flavour can fully open up.

Alcohol content: 14 %
Origin: Spain, D.O.Ca. Rioja