While standing in the estate’s wine shop, we caught sight of a label we hadn’t seen before, bearing the name VIÑA CUBILLO, alongside a surprisingly modest price tag. Considering its role in the wine world, even the estate’s classic, Viña Tondonia, is exceptionally good value – yet compared to that, the pricing of VIÑA CUBILLO is even more approachable.

If we take into account the years invested in ageing, the legend behind it and the refined flavours, one could say they’re offering it almost for free. Viña Cubillo was initially consumed within the family, then made available to those who visited the estate directly. It only appeared on export markets later on. After two years of persuasion, last year we also received a small allocation, and this year we managed to repeat it – the wine is available at Bortársaság in a quantity of 240 bottles. Viña Cubillo (like the other wines from the estate) is a single-vineyard selection, from the 24-hectare Viña Cubillas vineyard, located two river bends upstream from Tondonia.

The founder planted 16 hectares of Tempranillo, 4 hectares of Garnacha, 2 hectares of Mazuelo and the same amount of Graciano there. Today, the 50-year-old vines on the estate and the wine itself reflect these same proportions. The Cubillo vineyard performs at least as well as its famous neighbour, Tondonia, in every vintage. It’s just part of the estate’s selection strategy that ‘short-aged’ and subtly restrained wines are made from here.

The winemaking method is the same as for the other wines: fermentation is carried out spontaneously in old, seasoned wooden vats, followed by barrel ageing for three years, which is shorter than usual for the estate but still considerably longer than the regional norm. Finally, the wine is bottled unfiltered and undergoes an additional five years of ageing in the bottle. According to the regional classification, this wine could qualify not just as a Crianza, but even as a Gran Reserva, based on its ageing period. Only the family’s consistency ensures that Cubillo remains the entry-level wine in their range.

The 2017 vintage is fresh and elegant; the frost-affected year produced fruit with a lighter texture and spicier aromatics. Alongside its juiciness, there are countless subtle details and the finest aromas of mature Rioja. By composition, it could be considered a full-bodied wine, yet on the palate, it feels neither too much nor too little. Black berry fruit, thyme, white pepper and liquorice. Aromas of subtle oak and green herbs. Wonderful flavours, painted with fewer but broader brushstrokes than Tondonia, yet unmistakably crafted by the same hands.
A masterful entry to the legendary Rioja estate.