Luberri "Zuri" Rioja Blanco '24

Florentino Martínez Monje and María José, his wife, established their family winery in 1991, in the village of Elciego, in Rioja Alavesa. They farm 35 hectares of old-vine Tempranillo, as well as some Viura and Malvasia, and the vineyards are located primarily between the wine-growing villages of Elciego and Laguardia. After working on other winemaking projects, Florentino wanted to make wines that best expressed the terrain and gastronomy of his native Basque region, and he became known for reviving and improving the traditional style of semicarbonic, whole-cluster maceration of Tempranillo that dates back more than two centuries in the Rioja Alavesa region, before the changes that came with the arrival of phylloxera. 

All the plots are farmed ecologically, with each individual vineyard site fermented and vinified separately. Florentino is also responsible for inventing his own trellising system, a modified bush-vine system with higher trellising, designed specifically for the conditions of Rioja Alavesa. The system produces grapes with great concentration and flavor, as well as remarkable freshness and acidy. The next generation at Luberri is led by Florentino’s two daughters Miren and Laura, with Laura’s husband Carlos taking on a key role in the cellar. While red wines are at the heart of the Rioja region of Spain, white wine production is also important. Much of the white wine from Rioja you taste comes from the Rioja Alta subregion, which makes this wine even more interesting to try. Luberri is based in Rioja Alavesa, the Basque part of the region. Most of Florentino’s vineyards are between the villages of Elciego and Laguardia. 

Zuri, which means “white” in Basque, is made from 80% Viura and 20% Malvasia, from vines between 30 and 50 years old. The soil is largely sandy-calcareous clay soil. Fermented in stainless steel, the wine is kept on its lees for two months with some stirring to help add texture and complexity to the wine.

Beautiful aromatics of pear skin and lemon zest, and a salty character. Crisp and vibrant, yet with nice texture in the midpalate. Roasted turbot with olive oil and garlic confit would be an ideal match.