Wine has been made in Castillo de Sajazarra since ancient times. Built in the 15th century, the castle had lagares, presses and other wine making objects that were found in its dungeons at the end of the 1960s, when the Líbano Daurella family bought the property. After a painstaking restoration of the castle and its surroundings, the estate became the family home.

The Líbano family, relatives of the owners of Roda in Haro, made wine in the castle. At first it was meant for home consumption but it was later marketed. Crossing a Roman bridge over the river Ea, visitors find the current winery, which was built in 1973 on the castle gardens and is surrounded by vineyards.

Castillo de Sajazarra works exclusively with its own grapes. They have 46.5 hectares under vine in Sajazarra (85%), Galbárruli and Fonzaleche, three of the coldest and highest villages (500-700 metres) in Rioja Alta, on the slopes of the Obarenes mountains. A portion of the vineyards are organically grown with the rest under integrated production, trying to maintain a balanced ecosystem. Self-defined as vine growers, their mantra, according to their website, is “Menos bata y más bota” (“Less white coats and more boots”). The grape varieties they work with are mostly Tempranillo, followed by Graciano and a small amount of Garnacha. In vineyards that are not apt to make wine, they have planted other crops like black truffle and cereal.

In the winery, grapes are destemmed and placed in stainless steel tanks, cement vats and French and American oak barrels. Malolactic fermentations occur naturally with occasional batonnage to make wines with good length that are neither filtered nor clarified. Depending on the quality and destination, wines are aged in oak for 18 to 30 months in a semi-underground cellar with good humidity, low temperatures and Celtic or classical music that cradles the wine stored in 1,350 barrels.

Jabier Marquínez takes care of winemaking. He is a dynamic and inquiring man and has written two books about wine in the Scriptures: La Biblia, primer tratado de viticultura y enología (The Bible, first treatise on grape growing and winemaking) based on the Catholic Bible and Wine in the Bible, a review in English of his first book which is based on the Protestant Bible. Marquínez supervises production both in Rioja as well as in Alella near Barcelona, where Castillo de Sajazarra owns five hectares of vineyards which are the base of its In Vita range of wines.

Marquínez, who works as a consultant in Ribera del Duero and makes wine in wineries in Rioja, Rueda, Priorat and Galicia, is one of Spain’s top experts in kosher wine, a process with a strict set of requirements written in the Torah. The cellar has a special room under lock and key with the American oak barrels that stores the wine destined for Jewish consumers in over 100 countries. Kosher wine means around 20% of the total production of Castillo de Sajazarra (around 40,000 bottles). “The kosher seal is the first ISO norm in history”, says Jabier Marquínez.

Aside from kosher wines, Castillo de Sajazarra makes two wine ranges in Rioja. In a classic style, Solar de Líbano includes a Crianza (115,000 bottles, €7.50) that blends Tempranillo with small amounts of Graciano and Garnacha, and a pleasant and traditional Tempranillo-based Reserva (30,000 bottles, €11.50) aged in used American barrels for 30 months.

Castillo de Sajazarra Reserva (30,000 bottles, €15) is a blend of 95% Tempranillo and 5% Graciano in which half of the grapes are grown organically. On the first year, the wine is aged in new barrels whereas on the second, it rests in used French and American oak barrels. This wine has more volume and structure and displays a balsamic profile.

In vert good vintages, two limited production wines are made. Digma Reserva (6,000 bottles, €31) is a Tempranillo from two vineyards at an elevation of 650 metres — Fuentenegra and Galdara— blending in the Atlantic influence of the first with the Mediterranean character of the second and producing an opulent, complex and structured wine. Digma Graciano (2,000 bottles, €31) comes from a vineyard at high altitude with yields under 5,000 kg/Ha that stands out for its elegance and captivating aromas of lavender and India ink in a fresh palate with good acidity.

The In Vita range, sourced from five hectares on granite and sandy soils in La Roca del Vallès (DO Alella), includes a white and a rosé. In Vita Blanco (35,000 bottles, €6) was first made in 2006 and blends in Pansa Blanca (Xarel.lo) and Sauvignon Blanc, whereas In Vita Rosado (8,000 bottles, €8) is a fun, medium-bodied rosé combining Garnacha and Syrah.

Castillo de Sajazarra does not welcome visitors but its vineyards in the vicinity of the winery and the village, one of the prettiest in La Rioja, are worth a visit.