Producer Portrait · Spain

Bodegas Jalón

Small family winery, 5 hectares, organically certified: Rioja without compromise.

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Get to know Bodegas Jalón

The Weingut Jalón is a small family winery whose wines come exclusively from 5 hectares of its own vineyards. Even when planting the vines, now on average 35 years old, the then young Fernando helped his father, a formative time in which the family consistently focused on quality wines.

Organically certified viticulture

To this day, the vines are carefully tended and nurtured. For the quality of the wines, deliberately low yields are achieved, and the soil is treated only with organic fertilisers. Herbicides and synthetic pesticides are not used. Thanks to these measures, the Bodega Jalón is organically certified.

Terroir in the Iregua Valley

The vineyards lie at 460 to 500 metres above sea level in the Iregua valley, which forms the border between Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental. Clay, sandstone, marl and gypsum characterise the soils, and the climate is continental-Mediterranean with little rainfall. Only native varieties such as Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano are grown. Harvesting takes place only once the optimal ripeness is reached.

Time as a quality factor

Fernando takes his time in the ageing process: his Crianza matures considerably longer in barrique than the law requires. For the 2019 vintage, it was 22 months instead of the prescribed 12. The Reserva, after at least 24 months in barrique, sometimes spends over eight years in the bottle. And if a young wine does not pass the strict quality inspection, the entire vintage is sold to neighbouring estates.