Señorío de Librares 'El Marujo' Rioja Crianza 2021

Breathing new life into their family’s historic bodega, Señorío de Librares, sisters Clara and Patricia Espinosa are building a reputation for their artisanal, organic Riojas that are unrivalled in flavour and price.

The Espinosas have cultivated top-quality fruit in Rioja Baja for over 150 years – the sisters’ great-great-grandfather Pedro won first prize for his wines at the 1878 Paris World Fair.

In contrast to the region’s big brands, Clara and Patricia eschew the use of international varieties and bought-in fruit, farming 10ha of Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha, and Viura around the town of El Villar de Arnedo. Harnessing organic viticulture and a traditional-meets-modern approach to winemaking, they craft characterful wines that excel in value.

Made from 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha, their 2020 Rioja Crianza spends over a year in a combination of French and American barrels. Fleshy and supple, it offers layers of spiced black fruit and toasty oak.

As the bodega’s 'El Marujo' Rioja Joven has become a mainstay on the wine lists at Noble Rot, Shrine to the Vine is thrilled to offer another ambitious wine from Señorío de Librares.

Plush dark fruit, floral lift, and spice. Supple and polished. Drink to 2028.