Vinos En Voz ' Costumbres' Baja Rioja

Vinos En Voz works the kind of parcels most Rioja producers ignore—old vines in Baja Rioja, the warmest, lowest-elevation corner of Rioja Oriental, where clay loam soils and a Mediterranean climate produce riper fruit than the region's celebrated high-altitude sites. 'Costumbres' is a field blend anchored by Garnacha, with Tinto Velasco and Tempranillo filling out the mix, all farmed organically without irrigation or synthetic intervention. The vineyards sit in what was historically considered Rioja's marginal land, far from the classicist estates around Haro and Laguardia that built the region's reputation on oak and Tempranillo. Here, the approach is intentionally minimal: whole clusters foot-trodden in open-top French barrels, wild fermentation without temperature control, and aging split between glass demijohns, concrete, and neutral wood. Nothing new, nothing added. The foot-treading extracts color and tannin gently, so the wine stays expressive rather than extracted. Fermentation in used barrels rather than stainless steel encourages native-yeast complexity without layering on oak or tannic weight. The split aging regimen preserves the fruit's brightness while allowing slow oxidative development, a balancing act that keeps the wine from tipping into either overly clean or overly rustic territory. What you get is red cherry, wild herbs, and a dusty minerality that reads more Mediterranean than Tempranillo-driven Rioja. There's grip without heaviness, acidity that keeps everything lively, and a finish that tastes like sun-warmed earth and scrubland. This isn't polished or pretty in the conventional sense—it's field-blend Rioja that prioritizes site and variety over stylistic conformity. Drink it slightly chilled with grilled lamb chops, roasted peppers, or a simple plate of jamón and Manchego. It works as well at a backyard table as it does with a composed dinner. At Off Premise, we stock it for people looking past the usual Rioja playbook—this is what happens when old vines, warm clay, and restraint meet in a part of the region that's finally getting attention.