October 2024 Crianza Club
 
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Moraza San Vicente
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I recently had the pleasure of discovering Bodegas Moraza, when a fellow retailer brought the wine into the shop to share. This winery provides a fascinating glimpse into not only Rioja’s dynamic history but its bright future as well. The Moraza family has been growing grapes and making wine in the village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra for six generations. It was in 2011 that Janire Moraza took the reins and sparked some exciting changes.
After studying abroad, Janire noticed global trends in wine and the growing demand for more approachable options. She encouraged her father and uncle to embrace organic farming and look beyond local sales to export their wines.
The vineyards are located in Rioja Alta, at the foot of the Cantabrian and Toloño Mountain ranges, with altitudes between 450 and 650 meters. The region’s dry, cool climate—influenced by the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Cantabrian seas—helps produce healthy grapes. I was especially impressed by their dedication to traditional methods, fermenting and aging all red wines in concrete. The result is beautifully crafted, lower-alcohol red wines that allows their quality fruit to shine.
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Ramirez De La Piscina
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The Ramirez de la Piscina family of San Vicente have been farming grapes in this historic village since the 13th century. Their family name is shared with the hermitage of Santa María de la Piscina, a 12th century Romanesque hermitage, a historic landmark site that is engraved with the Ramirez family crest, speaking to the family's long history in Rioja. Today, they produce small quantities of extremely classical Rioja wines from estate and long-term contracted vineyards in San Vicente and Abalos, two of the most important villages in the Sonsierra Riojana, a geographic "triangle" of quality between San Vicente, Abalos, and Labastida.
Estate owned and vineyards leased on long term contracts in the villages of San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Abalos, sandwiched between the foothills of the Sierra Cantabria mountain range and the Ebro River. Sustainable dry farmed viticulture. Vineyards trained as spur-pruned goblet vines as well as high density trellises. Manual work and harvest, with no mechanization whatsoever. The grapes undergo rigorous manual sorting before destemming. 100% of the clusters are destemmed, but not crushed. Temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel (inoculated) with neutral yeast. Maceration lasts 20-30 days. The wine is racked to concrete tanks for malolactic fermentation, which occurs spontaneously. 14 months in American and French oak barrels in underground cellars. Before bottling, the wine settles for 5 months in stainless steel. Before releasing to the market, the wine is aged in bottle for at least eight months.
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