Bodegas Moraza is a unique case in Rioja. This six-generation family of growers from San Vicente de la Sonsierra tends vineyards in their village and in neighbouring Ábalos, both in Rioja Alta. The wines, certified organic and biodynamic, are easier to find abroad, with 96% of production exported.
As Alberto Gil and Antonio Remesal note in their book Rioja. Vinos silenciosos, Jesús Senén Moraza and Víctor Moraza were among the first cosecheros in Rioja to launch their own brand in the 1980s. While they already farmed organically, it was the next generation, cousins Janire and Ismael and Mario, together with Janire's husband, Patricio Brongo, who took the leap into biodynamics.
With this philosophy, they now farm 23 hectares of vines at elevations ranging from 400 to 650 m, in plots that vary in size from 2,000 m² to five ha. They focus exclusively on local varieties. Tempranillo is the dominant red grape, but they also grow Garnacha and Graciano, as well as the white varieties Viura and Tempranillo Blanco.
Located in the area of the same name, Cuatro Caminos is the family's largest vineyard. The Tempranillo vines used to make this red are trellised to withstand the prevailing north winds.
Moraza Cuatro Caminos is a village wine from San Vicente de la Sonsierra and a fine example of the style that the winery champions: fresh wines that protect the fruit, with moderate alcohol levels –an increasingly rare find in Rioja. Light yet far from simple, this red offers delicate floral and red fruit aromas, and crisp, slightly herbaceous tannins that are well-integrated into the wine’s structure. It is easy to drink, versatile and noticeably lighter than the average red Rioja. It is certainly a considerable achievement in the scorching 2022 vintage, which prompted an early harvest at Moraza starting on 27 August.
After a gentle four-day maceration, the destemmed grapes underwent spontaneous fermentation in uncoated concrete vats. The wine was then aged for two years, also in concrete.
Moraza wines can be found on the lists of restaurants and wine bars such as Arzak, Atea or Gandarias in Gipuzkoa; Mina in Bilbao; Ita in Madrid; and Denassus, Glug and Bodega Amposta in Barcelona.
Leading importers include La Cantina del Mulino in Switzerland, Vivant Selections in Australia, Bowler in New York and La Cabane in Hong Kong.
12% abv.
3,000 bottles
€36
Score: 91
Author
Amaya Cervera
A wine journalist with almost 30 years' experience, she is the founder of the award-winning Spanish Wine Lover website. In 2023, she won the National Gastronomy Award for Gastronomic Communication
