2017 Akutain Rioja Alta Reserva

AKUTAIN: SMALL BATCH, ULTRA CLASSIC RIOJA

While it's well known here at AOC that my love for the stunningly complex wines of R. López de Heredia runs deep, there are a number of other hidden gem producers in Rioja that also get me excited and are more than worth adding to your cellar. Akutain is one such producer, and you likely haven't even heard of them due to their incredibly small production. The estate has very humble beginnings with founder Juan Peñagarciano Akutain getting his start in wine in the most unconventional way as winery cooling unit engineer. Over the years of working at the wineries, he established personal relationships with many of the great producers throughout Rioja, including La Rioja Alta and CVNE. He planted his first vineyard in 1975 with the intent to create high quality wines inspired by the greats he worked with but with a much more small, boutique production level. The wines are exceptionally classic, with all the beautiful ripe red fruits, baked clay earth, rustic tannins, and perfumed coconut and dill American oak we know and love from other more famous wines of the region.

Juan's son, Jon, has since taken over and continued his father's work of hands-on, finely crafted old school Rioja with harvesting, natural fermentations, and used American oak maturation. Everything is matured for years in caves dug by Juan back in the 1970s until the wines are ready to be released. The Gran Reserva is aged for 8 years and the Reserva for 6, which means they are starting to enter their prime drinking window. We also managed to snag a little bit of the incredibly rare rosé bottling (only 600 bottles total!), which will scratch the Rioja rosado itch for all you fellow Lópe rosé lovers out there. - KELLY RAU