El Pacto del Alto Najerilla 2022
The freshness of Alto Najerilla in harmony with the natural rhythms of the old vineyard.

Vineyards
Old vineyards, with an average age of around 60 (planted between 1915 and 1974) located in the towns of Cárdenas and Nájera. Ferrous clay soils with a high component of conglomerate rock at the bottom. At an altitude of around 600 meters.
Harvest
Manual harvest on September 7 and 8, 2022.
Winemaking
Maceration of entire bunches for 24 hours to achieve greater aromatic richness and fullness in the mouth. Subsequent maceration for six hours with the skins and then pressing. Static debourage by decantation and racking to remove the lees. Fermentation is spontaneous with the native yeasts of the grape, at a low temperature (between 16 and 18 degrees). In the final part of the fermentation, the wine passes into different sizes oak casks.
Variety
Mostly Viura, in addition to the occasional Malvasía, Garnacha Blanca or Jaina vine.
Alcohol content:
13,5% ABV
Ageing
Half of the wine is aged for 12 months in a 5,000-litre oak “tina” and the other half is aged for a year in “bocoyes”, oak barrels of different capacities (between five hundred and one thousand litres) in contact with the fine lees.
Tasting notes
Visual
Straw yellow of medium intensity, with a very attractive shine that gives it great luminosity in the glass.
Nose
Complex, with notes of hay, cream and pastries, as well as citrus nuances in the background.
Palate
Long, with very good acidity, and at the same time a lot of structure. The tactile sensations generated by the interaction between the aging oak and the freshness of the grape stand out. But it also stands out for its fullness and creaminess in the mouth, the result of a complete maturation in the vineyard, where the low production of old vines contributes to the richness of its bunches. A wine structured by its great acidity and rounded by its ample silky sensation.
95 points
Rioja Report 2023 Tim Atkin MW. 2021 vintage.
94 points
Rioja Report 2022 Tim Atkin MW. 2020 vintage.
92 points
Guía Peñín 2021. 2020 vintage.
93 points
Rioja Report 2024 Tim Atkin MW. 2022 vintage.