Queirón Rioja, Mi Lugar | 2019

This is an estate that is proving the moxie of poor little Rioja Oriental. Owned by the fourth generation of the Pérez Cuevas family, Queirón's terroir is Quel, in the valley of the Cidacos River in Rioja Oriental. Mistakenly typecasted as an inferior, low-lying, sandy region, Rioja Oriental has pockets of old, goblet-pruned vineyards on the slopes of the Sierra de Yerga, which are the heart and soul of Gabriel Pérez. A pioneering winegrower and winemaker, Gabriel has worked more than twenty-five years to recover these historical vineyards, where shallow soils, altitude, and gnarly vines promote a viticulture which is "as natural as possible." Mi Lugar, meaning "My Place," captures the spirit of Quel — ever silky, richly red fruited, and filled to-the-brim with crumbles of sweet earth. I love how the Garnacha softens the Tempranillo, making the tannins firm, yet melty, making the acid bright, but cozy. Queirón also makes exquisite single vineyard expressions of Garnacha, Graciano, and the exotic Tempranillo Blanco. One to watch, one to love, keep Queirón in your wine pocket. ~Allegra A