Moving on to the five red wines within Mendoza’s portfolio, the 2011 Jarrarte undergoes carbonic maceration. It has a scintillating Beaujolais-like nose with cassis and dark berry fruit infused with a touch of smoke. The palate is balanced on the entry, quite dry and introverted, with dusky, black tarry fruit on the light, almost weightless finish. Drink now. Any self-respecting wine writer should have their senses open 24/7. A great wine or great producer can appear at any moment. It was on my first night in Rioja that I randomly selected a bottle of “5V” from a restaurant list in Logrono and found it utterly delicious. Upon realizing that Abel Mendoza’s wines had not been included in my tastings, I asked if his wines could be winged over. It was a few days before I got round to it, and in the meantime, “Abel Mendoza” seemed to be the winemaker on everyone’s lips when I posed the question: “Who is pushing the Riojan envelope?” This husband and wife team, Maite the oenologist and Abel the vine grower, create white wines that set the pulse racing. They are individualistic wines that pay scant regard to the Reserva system, showcasing classic white varieties such as Malvasia, Viura and Garnacha Blanca, plus those on the cusp of extinction such as Tempranillo Blanco and Turruntes that all undergo virtually identical vinification that employs a prudent five months of new oak. These are dazzling expressions of grape variety and terroir, profound wines that seem a million miles away from the anodyne Viuras that flourish. For me, their whites are so good that they unfairly over-shadowed their reds, which are still well-crafted but not quite as riveting. Maite and Abel’s wines are very special, suffused with personality and intellect, and were some of the most exciting that I met in Rioja.Importer: Jose Pastor Selections, www.josepastorselections.com

The 2005 Jarrarte was aged in new French oak for 12 months. It is opaque purple-colored with a nose of cedar, damp earth, mineral, and blackberry. On the palate it is very firm and slightly compact, albeit with plenty of spicy, savory fruit but the finish is also hard and tannic. It will require a minimum of 5-7 years of cellaring making this wine a gamble. Importer: Jorge Ordonez, Fine Estates From Spain, Dedham, MA; tel. (781) 461-5767