BODEGAS EXOPTO

RIOJA

“Exopto Cellars’ three new releases are all outstanding.” Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate, April 2010

Rioja is a happening place. A new generation of growers and wine makers have moved on from stylistic debates and got down to the business of making the finest Rioja possible from their respective zones. We already work with one of the finest of the ‘new wave’ producers in Valenciso who produce a prestige, single vineyard wine that is matured exclusively in French oak (and is all the better for it). Yet we have long felt that we had room in the portfolio for a value priced Rioja offering if only we could find a ‘value’ producer whose wines truly moved us. So when a good friend (and renowned Spanish wine writer) suggested we take a look at Bodegas Exopto, we quickly made contact.

Initially we requested samples and were subsequently floored by the wines (and the prices). Then when we visited the Bodegas, the quality all made sense. All the key ingredients were there: outstanding, cool vineyards on rocky soils, very old vines, low yields (yes, at these prices!), a terrific little winery replete with new cement tanks and large format oak and a passionate winemaker/owner (Tom Puyaubert) who clearly understands the universal principals of high quality wine. Tom is in fact a Frenchman who married a local girl, which may explain the atypical, artisanal approach that is found at Exopto. Stuart summed it up best when he said that visiting Exopto reminded him of visiting a small Burgundian producer. The emphasis was very much on the vineyards while the small scale production (around 3,000 cases - tiny for Rioja) and attention to detail was equally impressive. These factors have resulted in Exopto producing modern Rioja in the very best sense – i.e., Rioja that is the result of well tended vineyards and quality wine making. Rioja that takes the best from the past (Graciano for example and use of concrete tanks & large format oak, etc) and discards what did not work. Nuestro amigo was right; Exopto is a Riojan star in the making and we have no hesitation in adding them to our Spanish portfolio.

To visit the Bodegas Exopto website, click here