2018 Álvaro Palacios Remondo Quiñón de Valmira

The 2018 Álvaro Palacios Remondo Quiñón de Valmira is one of Rioja’s most elusive and captivating reds, a single-vineyard Garnacha that shows just how ethereal this grape can be in the right hands. Crafted from a tiny 3-hectare plot in Alfaro, this wine combines the finesse of a fine Burgundy with the sunny vibrancy of the Mediterranean. Bottled in minuscule quantities and awarded 98/100 points by Robert Parker, it sits firmly among the region’s absolute elite. What sets Quiñón de Valmira apart is its precision and delicacy: an almost weightless texture wrapped around intense, finely etched flavor. This 100% Garnacha is grown on limestone- and clay-rich soils with fine sediments, giving it both aromatic lift and mineral tension. Produced under Álvaro’s personal label and sold through separate channels from the rest of the Palacios Remondo range, it represents a highly personal interpretation of top-level Rioja—a wine that rewrites what many expect from the region’s reds.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2018 Quiñón de Valmira shines a luminous, shimmering ruby-red—almost translucent yet vibrant, with a crystalline clarity that hints at its finesse. It appears more like a top-tier, cool-climate Garnacha or even a fine Pinot Noir than a traditional, darker-styled Rioja. The nose is intensely perfumed and lifted: wild strawberry, pomegranate seeds, and watermelon sit alongside a cascade of spring flowers—rose petals, violets, and field blossoms. Delicate citrus zest (especially orange and grapefruit peel) adds brightness, while subtle notes of fresh herbs, thyme, rosemary, and a touch of anise evoke a walk through Mediterranean scrubland on a warm spring day. Gentle, integrated oak lies in the background, offering hints of vanilla pod, sweet spice, and a faintly smoky, balsamic nuance. On the palate, the wine is simultaneously delicate and powerful, with an almost aerial texture that belies its inner strength. Fresh, crunchy red fruits—pomegranate, red currant, and wild raspberry—are joined by juicy, mouthwatering watermelon and a fine line of citrus that keeps everything wonderfully taut and refreshing. The tannins are ultra-fine, powdery and silky, framing the fruit rather than dominating it, while the acidity is bright and precise, giving the wine great definition and length. There’s a subtle mineral edge and a whisper of savory herbs that emerge on the long, persistent finish. Despite its elegance, the structure is formidable, suggesting excellent aging potential. While already stunning in its youth, this 2018 should evolve beautifully over 10–15 years, gaining complexity, spice, and tertiary notes (dried flowers, tea, forest floor) while retaining its core of purity and freshness.

Production
Quiñón de Valmira comes from a small, meticulously farmed 3-hectare vineyard in the area of Quinón de Valmira, in the municipality of Alfaro in Rioja Oriental. The site’s limestone- and clay-rich soils with fine sediments provide excellent drainage and a mineral backbone, while the Mediterranean influence and elevation allow Garnacha to ripen fully yet retain remarkable freshness and aromatic lift. Vines are carefully tended with a strong focus on expressing place rather than power. In 2018—considered one of the great recent vintages in Rioja—Álvaro Palacios and his team vinified the wine with around 30% whole clusters, encouraging a natural, spontaneous fermentation using only the native yeasts present on the grape skins. Fermentation took place in oak vats with gentle punch-downs, followed by an exceptionally long maceration of about 66 days, extracting fine tannins, perfume, and nuance rather than heaviness. The wine then underwent malolactic fermentation in oak barriques and was matured for approximately 18 months in carefully selected barrels, adding polish and texture without overshadowing the wine’s floral, high-toned character. Production is extremely limited, with only about 4,400 bottles filled in April 2020.

Food & Serving
This is a refined, high-toned Garnacha that shines with dishes emphasizing elegance and aromatics rather than sheer richness. Think roasted or grilled lamb with herbs, duck breast with pomegranate or cherry glaze, or delicately spiced game birds. It pairs beautifully with fine charcuterie, Iberico ham, and aged but not overly powerful cheeses (such as semi-cured Manchego, Comté, or Tomme-style cheeses). Vegetarian options like wild mushroom risotto, roasted root vegetables with herbs, or dishes featuring grilled peppers, tomato, and eggplant also work wonderfully. Serve slightly cool for a red, around 14–16°C (57–61°F), to highlight its floral aromatics and tension. Decanting for 1–2 hours is recommended in its youth to allow the perfume to unfurl and the texture to fully open; with more bottle age, a shorter decant will be sufficient.

Producer
Palacios Remondo is the Rioja outpost of the Palacios family, a dynasty with four generations of involvement in Spanish wine. While the estate itself is rooted in Alfaro, in Rioja Oriental, its most famous son, Álvaro Palacios, has become one of Spain’s most influential winemakers, with benchmark projects in Priorat (L’Ermita, Finca Dofí, Les Terrasses) and Bierzo (Corullón, La Faraona, Pétalos). Through these wines, Álvaro has helped redefine the potential of Spain’s old vines and historic terroirs. With Palacios Remondo, Álvaro has brought a modern, terroir-focused vision to Rioja, championing Garnacha and expressing the Mediterranean side of the region with finesse and precision. Quiñón de Valmira is unique within his portfolio: it is the only wine produced under his personal label at the estate and sold through dedicated channels, making it a highly sought-after, almost “insider” cuvée. Its consistently high critical acclaim—capped here by a 98/100 score from Robert Parker—has secured its reputation as one of Rioja’s absolute top wines and a reference point for what contemporary, world-class Garnacha from this region can be.

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