Bodegas Exopto Rioja Bozeto de Exopto 2022

Description

Bodegas Exopto is one of the new wave of modern winegrowers and quality wine makers in Rioja – Outstanding, well tended, cool vineyards on rocky soils, very old vines and low yields (the total opposite to the trend of mass produced, American oaked wine of the region).

Passionate artisan winemaker, Tom Puyaubert (in fact a Frenchman who married an Espanola!) is fanatical in his focus on their vineyard: 50-100 year old Tempranillo and 70 year old Garnacha vineyard located in Rioja Alavesa (600 metres altitude and the coolest in Rioja).  He uses French oak and is producing small quantities of top quality vino (3000 cases – miniscule production for Rioja).  Robert Parker’s right hand man, Jay Millar from Wine Advocate is a fan: “Exopto Cellars three new releases are all outstanding”.  No doubt about it Exopto is a Riojan star in the making!

Bozeto means ‘sketch’ or ‘outline’ and as the name implies, this is Tom Puyaubert’s entry-level wine. It’s been designed as a delicious, easy-drinking introduction to the range, and takes in a pan-regional expression of Rioja’s three principle grape varieties. This wine is 60% Garnacha, 35% Tempranillo, Graciano 5%.

While most entry-level wines from this region today are based on Tempranillo (a variety both easier and more profitable to grow), here Garnacha represents 60% of the blend. This Garnacha hails from the sandy, river stone terroir of El Agudo—a 60-year-old plot at Alfaro on Monte Yerga (in Rioja Oriental). The Tempranillo is drawn from a selection of mature vines in Ábalos (high county Rioja Alta), and there is also some Ábalos Graciano, adding freshness and finesse. Puyaubert ferments this wine in a combination of concrete and steel tank, then ages it for six months in concrete and 5,000-litre oak vats. These days, Tom includes a measure of semi-carbonic maceration for extra buoyancy.

2022 is another super bright and high-toned, yet laden with silky brambly fruits and tinged with minerality and complexity that belies the price point.

Review for 2021 ..92 points, Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate “The very young red 2021 Bozeto de Exopto mixes Tempranillo from Ábalos and Mediterranean Garnacha from Alfaro (with 10% Graciano), and it seems very balanced, with good ripeness (14.5%), showing the Garnacha and the more austere Graciano with nice fruit and freshness. It’s serious and has complexity and depth beyond its price point. It matured in a combination of concrete and oak containers for some six months. Excellent value in one of the finest vintages for this wine.”

RRP: $35  Our Special Price $28.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine