Fuenmayor's 80 hectare Rioja Alta estate, with red wines from loam and limestone terraces above the Ebro.
The producer
Finca Valpiedra sits in Fuenmayor, Rioja Alta, on a bend of the Ebro. Its vineyards descend across three terraces, with most vines planted in the mid 1970s apart from a few older parcels. The Finca Valpiedra red comes from the oldest vineyards with high clay content, then ferments in stainless steel and matures in French oak. The Rioja regulatory body describes Finca Valpiedra as the only Rioja winery in Grandes Pagos de España.
Known for
Ebro terrace Rioja reds
Notable facts
Finca Valpiedra is located in Fuenmayor in Rioja Alta, on a bend of the Ebro.
The single estate comprises 80 hectares divided into nine plots of loam and limestone soil.
The vineyards occupy three terraces descending toward the Ebro.
Finca Valpiedra belongs to Grandes Pagos de España as the only Rioja winery in the organization.
The story
The 2014 Harvest Window
In 2014, Finca Valpiedra harvested before the autumn rains. Its stony soils reportedly helped the grapes ripen up to 15 days earlier than neighbouring vineyards in Cenicero. That earlier ripening allowed the estate to pick before the rain arrived. The vineyard's timing changed the harvest window: fruit reached ripeness earlier, and the estate could bring it in before the autumn weather. The 2014 harvest took place before the autumn rain.
From the atlas
Finca Valpiedra
Fuenmayor single estate in Rioja Alta, with vineyards descending toward the Ebro and red wine from its oldest clay rich parcels.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Region
Rioja Alta
Village
Fuenmayor
River setting
A bend of the Ebro
Estate type
Single estate
Association
Grandes Pagos de España
The Producer
A bend of the Ebro frames Finca Valpiedra in Fuenmayor, Rioja Alta. The estate comprises 80 hectares divided into nine plots of loam and limestone soil. It belongs to Spain's Grandes Pagos de España association, and the Rioja regulatory body describes it as the only Rioja winery in that organization.
For the Finca Valpiedra red, grapes come from the oldest vineyards planted in soils with high clay content. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, followed by maturation in French oak barrels.
Place
The vineyards occupy three terraces descending toward the Ebro. Apart from a few older parcels, most vines were planted in the mid 1970s. The terraced layout places older and newer vineyard parcels within one estate as the land falls toward the river.
Wines
The listed range includes Cantos de Valpiedra 2021 and Finca Valpiedra Reserva 2018, both red wines. For the Finca Valpiedra red, grapes come from the oldest vineyards with high clay content. The wine ferments in stainless steel and matures in French oak.
Final Word
Finca Valpiedra is a Rioja Alta single estate in Fuenmayor, with three terraces descending toward the Ebro and a red sourced from its oldest clay rich vineyards before French oak maturation.