Valcuerna Blanco "Vinos Jovenes del Alto Najerilla" Cordovin Rioja Alta '25

One of the most exciting aspects of working in wine is discovering a place that has somehow remained just outside your field of vision. Over the years, we have featured wines from nearly every corner of Rioja, but we have never before had access to wines from the Alto Najerilla Valley. That changes with Valcuerna, one of several new producers being introduced to the Chicago market by Pyrenees Wine Merchants.

Valcuerna is located in the tiny village of Cordovín, in the foothills of the Sierra de la Demanda mountains along the southern edge of Rioja Alta. Vineyards here climb toward 700 meters, making Alto Najerilla one of the coolest growing areas in Rioja. The combination of elevation, ferrous clay, limestone, gypsum, and surface river stones gives the wines wonderful freshness, acidity, and mineral character. Historically, the area was best known for its traditional Clarete wines, though today it is also gaining recognition for its old vineyards of Garnacha. 

Valcuerna is run by the fifth generation of the Benés family. Brothers José Miguel and Arturo, together with their cousins Sergio and Adrián, took over the estate in 2011. The family has long been regarded as one of the area’s most respected growers, but the current generation has increasingly focused on bottling its own wines. Today they farm 42 hectares divided among an astonishing 152 parcels, preserving a remarkable range of elevations, soils, vine ages, and indigenous grape varieties. 

This fresh Rioja Blanco is a blend of Viura, Garnacha Blanca, and Malvasía from bush vines planted between three and 40 years ago around Cordovín, Badarán, and Cárdenas. The vineyards sit between 600 and 630 meters and are farmed sustainably without herbicides. Each variety is harvested by hand and pressed as whole bunches, followed by fermentation with native yeast in stainless steel. The wine completes malolactic fermentation naturally and remains on its fine lees for three to five months with periodic bâtonnage. 

The result is bright, crisp, and beautifully textured, with citrus, orchard fruit, delicate floral notes, and a cool mineral finish. It is an exciting introduction to an unfamiliar corner of Rioja and a reminder that the region has far more to offer than its famous oak-aged red wines. This is the perfect wine for your apéro, alongside some marcona almonds, olives and a simple plate of conservas.