The name of this venture, which translates as ‘quiet wines’, fits well with the philosophy of Carlos Mazo and his partner, designer and photographer Isabel Ruiz. They simply want to bring out the best of their six hectares of family vineyards they farm in Aldeanueva de Ebro and the surrounding villages of Alfaro, Autol, Rincón de Soto and Calahorra in Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja), and highlight the best terroirs in the area.

Origin means a lot to Carlos. He also tries to see the big picture and believes that in order for this area to progress as a wine region, it is essential to identify the best terroirs among the 8,000 hectares in these five villages.

Had it not been for him, Carlos's father would have uprooted his old Garnacha vines. Yields could not compete in terms of profitability with the trellised Tempranillos planted closer to the village. These new plantings have changed the landscape of the area, but according to Carlos they have also undermined its identity..

The family's six hectares include several plots at 360 to 380 metres above sea level in the valley, as well as other vineyards higher up on Mount Yerga (450 metres) at Las Planas, a site that Carlos considers to be one of the best terroirs in the area, and on the foothills of Sierra de los Agudos. Carlos points out that the Ebro flows here at some 340 metres elevation, compared with 440 metres in San Vicente de la Sonsierra in Rioja Alta. Despite the negative connotations that many producers see in the term 'Baja', it was certainly descriptive of the area.

With a production capacity of 30,000 to 40,000 bottles, Vinos en Voz Baja fills just under 30,000 bottles. For the 2020 vintage, the couple moved out of the cramped quarters of Carlos' parents' home (a real garage, in the most unassuming sense of the word) to a more spacious warehouse in the centre of Aldeanueva de Ebro.

The range includes two regional wines under the Costumbres brand, the village red Barrio Pastores, the single-vineyard red Nace La Sierra and the entry-level El Outsider.

El Outsider (3,600 bottles, €17) is a vin de soif, aged briefly in glass demijohns and bottled without added sulphites, which is made from Tempranillo from the 2023 vintage onwards. Garnacha is thus limited to terroir-driven wines, starting with Costumbres, the brand that launched the project in 2012 and which takes the bulk of the grapes.

There is a white (2,200 bottles in 2022, €18) with a fairly high percentage (50%) of Calagraño or Pasera, Viura (between 30% and 40%), Garnacha Roya (or Gris) and occasionally Tempranillo Blanco. The red Costumbres is the winery's flagship wine (13,900 bottles in the 2022 vintage, €18). It is a blend of 90% Garnacha with other varieties, including white grapes.

Barrio Pastores (4,000 bottles, €25) is the wine that tries to explain what Aldeanueva de Ebro tastes like. The grapes come from two vineyards: one in the valley and the other on the slopes of the Agudos mountain. It stands out for its elegance, texture and vivacity.

This single-vineyard red, with its wild, floral and delicate notes, also comes from Los Agudos -in this case, from an elevated site surrounded by wild flora called Yasa de las Cuevas. It was first made in the 2018 vintage under the name Erosivo. At that time, the grapes came from an old vineyard with a relatively high percentage of Tinto Velasco, but with the incorporation of new plants in neighbouring plots, the weight of Garnacha has increased. From the 2022 vintage, the name of the wine has been changed to Nace La Sierra (1,350 bottles, €50).

Isabel's hand is evident on the clarity of the labels, where simplicity is the most effective way of expressing the essence of the philosophy behind the wines: capturing the essence of this corner of Rioja Oriental.