Viña Ilusión Rioja Blanco 2022

Pale yellow colour and showing aromas of white fruits and lemon, this very drinkable natural white from Rioja from Viña Ilusión in the Rioja Baja sub-zone is a wonderful surprise for the price point. Fresh, delicate wine with cream with notes of apple, apricot and smooth citrus, a touch of creaminess and a zippy finish.

100% Tempranillo Blanco, farmed organically from vines around 35 years of age. Hand harvested, fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel. Aged only a short bit of time in tank. Bottled with minimal SO2 additions.

Martin Alonso and Gloria Plaza are the farmers and winemakers behind Viña Ilusión. They own five hectares of Tempranillo in Rioja, on the hillsides of Isasa in the Cidacos Valley at around 600-700m of elevation, which they farm based on the principles of Masanobu Fukuoka (do-nothing farming - as little human intervention as possible), Rudolf Steiner (biodynamics) and permaculture. Their goal is to rejuvenate and uplift the land that they work, own, and live on. They've created a whole ecosystem that supports itself through the growing process, with olive trees, a vegetable garden and fruit trees planted.

While Rioja has the most illustrious reputation in winegrowing Spain, unfortunately the wines are often so overly manipulated that they have lost their sense of place. This is what makes the beautifully non-interventionist Rioja of Viña Ilusión so exciting -- their wine is simply the essence of their vineyard and the way it’s farmed.