GR99 "Primera Impresión" Rioja '24

GR99 is exactly the kind of small, under-the-radar Rioja project that makes the region so exciting today. Based in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, one of the great villages of Rioja Alta, the project was started in 2019 by Carlos Mendoza and Ana Benés. The name GR99 refers to the trail that follows the Ebro River as it passes through San Vicente, a fitting name for wines that feel rooted in this very specific corner of Rioja.

“Primera Impresión” is made from 100% Tempranillo, sourced from a 45-year-old vineyard in the Jarrarte area of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, near the banks of the Ebro River. The soils here are clay and iron-rich, with plenty of rounded river stones, a detail that gives the site its own personality compared with many of the surrounding vineyards. The fruit is harvested early to preserve freshness, selected in the vineyard, then fermented in stainless steel before undergoing malolactic fermentation in second-use French oak barrels. The wine spends four additional months in those same barrels before returning to stainless steel for stabilization.

The 2024 “Primera Impresión” offers pretty aromas of creamed raspberry, black cherry, pepper and herb notes. On the palate, it is fresh, with a repetition of red fruit notes, fresh acidity, and soft tannins. It is Rioja in a more immediate, energetic register, less about long oak aging and more about the fruit, the village, and the pleasure of drinking Tempranillo young. Grill up some lamb loin chops to pair with this, a match made in heaven.