Abel Mendoza Jarrarte Blanco is a coupage of the Viura and Malvasía white varieties and a small amount of Torrontés, Tempranillo Blanco and Garnacha Blanca. This white wine is, without doubt, Abel Mendoza’s letter of introduction that showcases the pure style of a small Burgundy winegrower in the D.O.Ca. Rioja.
Abel Mendoza is run by the Rioja winegrower of the same name and his partner Maite, a winemaker, who have made their dream of making their own high-quality wines come true. They have just 20 hectares of vineyards in the town of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, in the Rioja Alta sub-region and a winery that, although fairly new, has quickly gained international prestige thanks to their high-quality, low-production, Burgundy-style wines.
Abel Mendoza Jarrarte Blanco is an example of this work. This wine comes from old vineyards lying at the edge of the Ebro river, in uneven and varied terrain composed of clay soils, marl and fine sandstones. The vines are cultivated using organic agriculture and the harvest is carried out manually when the grapes reach optimum ripeness. When the Abel Mendoza Jarrarte Blanco grapes reach the winery, they ferment in stainless steel tanks and then stay in these same tanks on lees for a further period of time.
This is Abel Mendoza’s best-known wine and is a far cry from the area’s typical woody wines. Instead, this is a fresh, round and charming coupage.