Manuel Quintano El Pionero 2021
High quality and artisanal winemaking in Rioja Alavesa
Manuel Quintano El Pionero 2021 is a tangible demonstration of the high quality of the wines of Rioja Alavesa, where the Manuel Quintano winery has one of the best vineyards in the area. This wine was grown on old vines whose grapes were harvested and selected by hand. It comes from an Excellent-rated vintage and has been aged for 12 months in French oak. Embodying the essence of the area, this is a wine you can’t afford to miss.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
Consumption time
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
5% Garnacha tinta, 95% Tempranillo
Type of barrel
200- and 500-litre French oak barrels
Barrel aging time
12 months
Capacity (cl)
75
General Information
Manuel Quintano El Pionero 2021 belongs to the winery’s top range and is a tribute to Manuel Quintano, who introduced modern winemaking to Rioja back in 1786 after a trip to Bordeaux. It’s from an Excellent-rated vintage and was grown on the firm’s best 50 hectares of vineyards, where old vines play a major role.
The main variety is Tempranillo with a small percentage (5%) of Garnacha, and in both cases the grapes come from plots more than 30 years old. Vinification took place in small open vats with spontaneous fermentation, plot by plot. The resulting wines were aged separately for 12 months in 200- and 500-litre French barrels.
Labastida, with a very long winegrowing tradition, is located in the northwesternmost area of Rioja, in the highest part of Rioja Alavesa, which produces fresh, aromatic wines with great laying-down potential. This small district sheltered by the Toloño mountains and watered by the River Ebro is one of the parts of Rioja that are best suited to grape growing.
In the mid-1960s several grape growers of Labastida decided to team up and found the Unión de Cosecheros de Labastida, which is currently the largest wine cooperative in the Basque Country and is known as Bodega Manuel Quintano. Over the years this firm has made lots of changes aimed at developing an artisanal winemaking process with emphasis on the vineyards and soil.
The wine was made in small vats, and pumping-over and crushing were carried out by hand, plot by plot. Fermentation was spontaneous, so that each vineyard expressed the character of the soil. The wines were aged separately in barrels, so that visitors could taste several different plot wines with unique profiles.
Manuel Quintano El Pionero 2021 (D.O.Ca. Rioja) is perfect with offal.
Creators' opinion
Cherry-red colour with intense pigmentation and violet reflections. Intense nose with predominant aromas of red fruit and hints of toast and chocolate from barrel ageing. Well-structured on the palate with fullness and an acidity that lends it freshness. Intense, long, lingering finish with prominent notes of red fruit.
The winery
Labastida, with a long-standing winemaking tradition, is located in the northwesternmost area of Rioja, in the highest region of Rioja Alavesa, which results in fresh, aromatic wines with great aging potential. A small municipality sheltered by the Sierra del Toloño and nourished by the Ebro River, it is one of the most favorable areas in Rioja for vine cultivation.
In the mid-1960s, several winemakers from Labastida decided to join forces and founded the Unión de Cosecheros de Labastida, which today is the largest cooperative winery in the Basque Country and is known as Bodega Manuel Quintano. Over the years, this company has implemented numerous changes aimed at developing an artisanal production process and giving great prominence to the vineyard and the soil.
Thus, for winemaking, they use small tanks, with completely manual pump-overs and punch-downs, parcel by parcel... Fermentations are spontaneous, with the idea of allowing each vineyard to express the character of the soil. Subsequently, each parcel's wine ages separately in barrels, enabling visitors to taste several wines from different parcels with unique profiles. The winemaking process is personalized and based on grape tasting prior to harvest. No two productions are the same, and tasting is the main driver of decision-making in the winery throughout the year.
The winery has two wine ranges:
-Solagüen / Labastida Range. This is the traditional range. It includes young wines, a semi-sweet white, and wines with different types and lengths of aging in French and American oak barrels.
-Manuel Quintano Range. This represents the premium range and pays tribute to Manuel Quintano, who introduced modern enology to Rioja in 1786 after his trip to Bordeaux. The project comprises the 50 best hectares of the winery's vineyards, where old vines play a prominent role. These wines are made in small tanks with maximum parcel separation and age in concrete or French oak.