Everything's ready for Conde de los Andes Malvasia

According to Alain Huetz de Lemps, the Malvasia white grape variety is grown in La Rioja Alta from ancient times.

In his masterful book Vignobles et vins du nord-ouest de l'Espagne (1967) the French historian and geographer mentions it several times as one of the most deeply rooted varieties in the vineyards around Haro and nearby municipalities. From the time that Huetz de Lemps confirms that presence until today, the Malvasia has suffered a strong setback, which has also affected other traditional varieties, in favour of the Tempranillo red variety and, to a lesser extent, the white Viura.

There is currently more than 130 hectares of Malvasia in the Rioja Denomination of Origin, according to data from 2018. This figure represents 2.22% of the total of the white varieties vineyards. Malvasia is distributed throughout all of the DOCa. In our case, we grow a plot of old vines in the area of Riarán, in the municipality of Haro, very close to Briñas and the famous Roman bridge on the Ebro river. The vines of this small vineyard have an average age over 50 years.

Since the 2016 vintage, we have been selecting and separating the production of this plot, whose first vinification we are about to present to the market. It is a single-variety white wine with a marked and distinctive character of citrus fruits. Its balanced acidity combines with an unctuous and gliceric sensation in the mouth. The aftertaste leaves a harmony of intense flavours, with nuances of sweetness and acidity. And above all, a long persistence.

This new Conde de los Andes Malvasía 2016 adds to a representative range of Rioja Alta vineyards. The contemporary personality of Conde de los Andes Tempranillo and Viura completes with Malvasia's exclusivity and attachment to terroir. We are going to enjoy it very soon.