Bodegas Vallemayor 'Nexo', Rioja DOCa, Spain

Red cherry, raspberry, liquorice, and gentle vanilla open with bright, polished definition. Bodegas Vallemayor 'Nexo', Rioja DOCa, Spain from 2024 is a 100% Tempranillo drawn from La Mata, the family’s 14-hectare, north-facing hillside vineyard between Fuenmayor and Cenicero. Brief aging in new American oak adds sweetness and texture while preserving the freshness and moderate structure that distinguish the 2024 Rioja vintage, reflecting Vallemayor’s long-standing balance of regional tradition and modern cellar precision.

Product Details:

• Producer: Bodegas Vallemayor
• Owners: Pérez Foncea family
• Producer Team: Bodegas Vallemayor winemaking team
• Vintage: 2024
• Grapes: 100% Tempranillo
• Vineyard Source: La Mata, a 14-hectare hillside vineyard
• Vine Age: Young vines, approximately 10 years old in the producer’s current vineyard profile
• Soil: Clay
• Aspect: North-facing
• Harvest Method: Selected grapes
• Harvest Period: First two weeks of October
• Fermentation: Approximately 2 weeks in stainless steel at 26 to 28 degrees Celsius
• Maceration: 2-day cold maceration followed by 2 days of post-fermentation maceration
• Aging: 4 months in new American oak barrels
• Fining: Pea protein and bentonite
• Closure: Natural cork
• Dietary Information: Vegan and vegetarian friendly
• ABV: 13.5%

Sensory Description:

Deep garnet in colour, the wine opens with ripe red cherry, raspberry, and red currant, layered with Tempranillo’s characteristic liquorice note. New American oak contributes vanilla, caramel, and restrained baking spice, framing the fruit without obscuring it. The palate is supple and fluid, with moderate weight, fresh acidity, and soft tannins reflecting the balanced, lively profile of the 2024 Rioja vintage. Red berry fruit remains clear through the mid-palate, while liquorice, vanilla, and gentle toast carry into a persistent, polished finish.

Producer’s Background:

The Pérez Foncea family’s winegrowing history in Fuenmayor reaches back to the late nineteenth century. Luis Pérez Foncea established the modern winery in 1984 under the name Bodegas Luis Pérez Foncea e Hijos, initially building its bottled-wine business around the Tondeluna label. His children joined the enterprise permanently when it became Bodegas Vallemayor in 1996, and the family now works with 70 hectares of estate vineyards alongside additional controlled sites. Nexo takes its name from the idea of a connection or link, expressing that philosophy through ripe Tempranillo fruit, short oak aging, and a style positioned between youthful immediacy and Rioja’s established barrel tradition.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve at 16 to 18 degrees Celsius in a medium-sized Bordeaux glass to emphasize the wine’s red fruit, supple texture, and measured oak spice. Pair with roasted lamb, grilled pork, beef tenderloin, chorizo, mushroom dishes, tomato-based pasta, or semi-cured Manchego.