Finca Allende, the estate created by Brother and sister team Mercedes and Miguel Angel de Gregorio, is located in the hill town of Briones in the Rioja Alta. ‘Allende’ can be roughly translated as ‘further’; its philosophy is to go further and further towards creating the perfect Rioja. This has been done by marrying the old and the new, by embracing the traditional grape varieties but then treating them to new French oak. A further distinguishing characteristic, apart from their ripeness and structure, is that Allende’s best wines are vineyard-based, with focus on the expression of Rioja’s varied terroir.
Finca Allende’s production comes from their own 22 hectares supplemented by contracts with certain other growers in Briones. The principal cuvée is 100% Tempranillo aged for thirteen months in predominantly French oak. Bottled without filtration or clarification, making it vegan friendly.
The Allende Tinto has notes of honey and beeswax on the nose, with an herbal touch and some spices. Clean blueberry, cranberry and wild forest fruit flavours are overlayed with elegant tobacco and leather notes. A more delicate, lighter vintage – not one to cellar.
