Telmo Rodriguez is one of Spain’s most famous living winemakers, responsible for several of the most exciting wines produced across the country today, including Yjar Rioja and Matallana Ribero del Duero, but his story begins with Remelluri. This historic site in Rioja Alavesa was purchased by his father in 1968, and Telmo later went off to France as a young man to study winemaking, including stints at Cos d’Estournel, Jean-Louis Chave, and Domaine de Trévallon. Famously, the father and son had a falling out when Telmo returned to Spain to work at the family property. While Telmo was eager to explore the potential of single village and single vineyard wines, his father was more interested in producing lower-priced wines with fruit sourced from across Rioja. In response, Telmo instead created the Compañía de Vinos Telmo Rodríguez, which explores historic vineyards across Spain, and he quickly developed a reputation as a winemaker to watch. He and his father eventually came to an understanding, however, and Telmo returned to the family property in 2009. Since then, all the wines at Remelluri have been made with 100% estate-grown fruit – and the quality has never been better. And while Telmo has gone on to explore the potential of the estate as he always wanted, with the spectacular Yjar Rioja – sourced from a tiny single parcel on the property – as well as his single village “Lindes de Remelluri” wines, the flagship Remelluri Reserva remains a steadfast traditional expression of the overall character of the high-elevation site. Supremely elegant, this is a gorgeous example of a fine-boned Rioja. Framed by well-integrated oak notes of vanilla, toasted almond and cocoa nib, the wine is dominated by fresh red fruit and faintly earthy notes of button mushroom and wild herbs. So typical of the cooler climate of Rioja Alavesa, this such a sophisticated style of Rioja that perfectly balances tradition with a very modern sense of transparency of terroir. If you haven’t had a Remelluri Rioja in a while, I’d highly encourage revisiting this historic estate. It seems like every vintage just gets better and better, thanks to the steadfast determination and vision of Telmo Rodriguez.