More than anything, Luis Arnedo is a winegrower. He farms 36 hectares of vines in the vicinity of Aldeanueva de Ebro in Rioja Oriental. All the plots have been planted by either his grandfather, his father or himself. Only 15 hectares are destined for his own wines. He sells some of the grapes to large bodegas and wine to French producer and Rioja ‘n’ Roll member Olivier Rivière who makes his wines at Lacus and with whom Luis has been working side by side for a long time.
Born in Zaragoza, his family has traditionally lived between Aragón and La Rioja, where they own land and grow vines and cereal crops. Luis follows the pattern as he lives in Zaragoza but works in Rioja.
Of the 100,000 bottles produced at the bodega, located in Aldeanueva de Ebro, around 30,000 belong to his own project, which is focused on expressing the best that Rioja Oriental vines have to offer. He farms grape varieties that are well adapted to the subzone’s climate conditions. Hence, he works mainly with Graciano and Garnacha for reds, and Garnacha Blanca, Turruntés and Maturana Blanca for whites.
Inédito 3/3 (around €9 in Spain) is the entry level red. The name refers to the three grape varieties (Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano) in the blend which Luis grows in his vineyards. An easy-to-drink unoaked wine, it is made with young vines and fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats. Inédito S (€12) is a rare blend of 60% Graciano, part of which ferments in cement, and 40% Garnacha in whole bunches. It is more consistent than its younger sibling —older vines are used here but even more important is the shift towards a fresher style within Rioja Baja. There’s also a single-varietal Graciano called Inédito H12 (€19) that is only made in outstanding vintages.
As expected, whites are far from ordinary too. Inédito Blanco (€16) is a single varietal Garnacha Blanca made with 55-year-old vines and aged in 500-litre barrels. Inédito Turrax (€14) is even more unique. Grapes come from a younger vineyard planted with Maturana Blanca and Turruntés (the local name for Albillo Mayor). This is an original, complex blend that adds novelty to the Riojan white scene.
