Founded in 1998 by a group of Rioja businessmen, some of whom were involved in the wine trade, Bodegas Altanza was initially set up with the idea of concentrating on the production of high-quality, modern Reservas and Gran Reservas made from Tempranillo.
To this end, the partners built a brand new winery on the outskirts of Fuenmayor, in Rioja Alta. Functional and spacious, it is equipped with vertical presses and large stainless steel fermentation tanks for the reservas, but they are gradually introducing smaller ones for selected wines. The large ageing room has around 7,000 French oak barrels, as well as wooden vats used to round off some of the wines.
Approximately 25% of the grapes are purchased from suppliers in Fuenmayor, Lapuebla de Labarca and the Najerilla region, but Altanza also owns a handful of old vines in Fuenmayor as well as a 300-hectare vineyard, divided into different plots, where most of its wines are sourced. Located in Murillo de río Leza, 20 minutes from the winery, the Valvarés estate is mainly planted to Tempranillo, but some of it is reserved for Sauvignon Blanc. It was a decision made by Carlos Ferreiro, Altanza's winemaker, who championed this foreign variety as early as 2007. Until the 2017 vintage, the young white Altanza (100,000 bottles, €7.90) was blended with Viura, but since the Control Board approved its use as a single varietal that year, this wine, very popular in Rioja bars, is made exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc.
Altanza, which dropped its former name Lealtanza in 2018, produces between 1.3 and 1.4 million bottles. The house exports 50% of its production to 50 countries, mainly in Asia, where the brand is very well positioned, and Central America. Altanza has a wide range of wines, divided into three different lines: Young Wines, Essential Wines and Singular Wines. In addition to the white Sauvignon, the young wines include the semi-sweet La Niña de Mis Ojos (25,000 bottles, €7.25) and two rosés: the traditional Altanza Rosado (16,000 bottles, €6.15) and Alma Bohemia de Altanza (16,000 bottles, €7.85). The latter, with a Provençal colour, belongs to the Singulares range and is made from Tempranillo and Viura grapes.
Esenciales range is the most important range in terms of production and is intended for the classic Rioja categories. It includes Edulis Crianza (460,000 bottles, €7.90), Altanza Reserva (200,000 bottles, €14.25), the first wine made by the winery, and Altanza Gran Reserva (20,000 bottles, €18.50). All of them are made from Tempranillo grapes and aged in French oak barrels, except for the Gran Reserva, which is aged in a combination of French and American oak.
The Alta Expresión range is made exclusively from the estate's own vines and includes modern wines with riper fruit and a silky mouthfeel. Easily identifiable by its shoulder-shaped bottle, Valvarés de Altanza (55,000 bottles, €10.95) is always aged in new French oak and has aromas of ripe red and black fruit with hints of vanilla. Altanza Familia (35,000 bottles, €19.90) is a Tempranillo from 40-45 year old vines, labelled as a Reserva, with compote notes of black fruit, fig and leather, and volume on the palate. Altanza Club (50,000 bottles, €22.90) used to be an exclusive bottling for the winery's members, but now the wine from its 183 barrels, which are always new, is sold elsewhere. It is a 100% Tempranillo, also labelled as Reserva, and blends grapes from at least 40-year-old vines planted in Fuenmayor and Lapuebla. It is aged for 18 months in barrels stored in an underground cellar that is exclusive to the Club, with malolactic fermentation done in oak vats. Powerful and meaty, it is a wine with structure and a predominance of toasted and balsamic notes.
Singulares is the range of exclusive wines produced in small quantities. Colección de Artistas Españoles (14,000 bottles, €49) is a limited edition made only in excellent vintages. Each year the cuvée is dedicated to a different classic artist - painters Miró, Sorolla and Velázquez are three of the six so far - chosen according to the personality of the vintage. Sold only in individual wooden cases, it is released after 10 years in the winery and, according to David Sáez de Ojer, the winery's director, it is "the best of our Reservas."
Uva por Uva (2,127 bottles, €68) and Altanza Battonage (2,600 bottles, €15) are the other limited edition wines. The first is a Tempranillo from the Tomillares plot in Valvarés that has a long barrel fermentation (about 25 days) and is aged in seasoned barrels. It retains the house style of ripe fruit and soft tannins but shows more vibrant red fruit and herbal notes that add freshness. Altanza Battonage blends old-vine Viura with Sauvignon Blanc planted at 600 metres elevation. Labelled as Crianza, the wine rests for 14 months in second year French oak barrels with the lees stirred daily during the first two months of ageing. Fresh and complex, it is a wine that will reach its full potential with additional time in the bottle.
In partnership with Roberto Amillo, a collector and great sherry enthusiast, Altanza has a small bodega with 20 butts in the Santiago district of Jerez and has launched a range of very limited production sherries that includes an amontillado, two palos cortados, an oloroso and a PX (all from old soleras), as well as two vermouths and a brandy. All the wines are sold in 50cl perfume-shaped bottles and range in price from €50 to €150.
The bodega has invested in creating a comprehensive wine tourism programme, and offers various tours and tastings as well as the possibility of renting part of its facilities, including the pleasant and peaceful cloister, for business meetings and private lunches.
