Produced with a blend of grapes from four different old vineyards in the village of Lanciego, the 2013 Altos Lanzaga is the last vintage of this cuvée, as from 2014 the vineyards are bottled separately. 2013 was a cooler, low-yielding vintage. It fermented in 3,000-kilogram wood vats with indigenous yeasts for 20 days. It matured in 1,500-liter oak foudres and 225-liter barriques for 18 months. 1,931 bottles were filled in June 2015.

There is an extra degree of elegance, precision and focus in the 2012 Altos de Lanzaga compared with the regular Lanzaga from that same year. It is produced from four small plots of over 70-year-old vines at 500-600 meters altitude, planted on very poor soils that are biodynamically farmed. It fermented in 3,000-kilo oak vats for 20 days with indigenous yeasts, and matured in 1,500-liter oak foudres and 225-liter barriques for some 18 months. The nose might be a little reticent at first, quite subtle, serious, balanced, a little backward. There is great balance, very fine tannins and very good freshness. This wine is very tasty, combining elegance and power. This is a very good vintage of Altos, with enough stuffing and balance to age magnificently in bottle. 2,500 bottles were filled in June 2014.

Following the exceptional 2010, the 2011 Altos de Lanzaga was the top of the range until Las Beatas arrived and stole the show. Still you should not overlook this exceptional cuvée from four plots of old, head-pruned vines in the village of Lanciego at 500-600 meters altitude, which are worked biodynamically. The wine fermented in 3,000-kilo oak vats with wild yeasts for 20 days and matured in 1,500 and 225-liter oak barrels for 18 months. It is a little reticent, very young and a little closed, subtle and a little shy. The palate shows very good flavors of red berries and flowers, plus a great balance between alcohol and acidity that give the wine length and persistence. 2,530 bottles produced.

The 2010 Altos de Lanzaga is sourced from four different vineyards that they feel show the character of Lanciego, their idea of a grand cru. Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano from head-pruned, 70-year-old vines worked following biodynamic principles that ferment naturally – no external yeasts are added to any of their wines – in 3,000-kilo oak vats for 20 days and aged for 18 months in 1,500-liter oak foudres and 225-liter barriques. The wine ages very slowly, in a very cold cellar, so it might take a year to carry out malolactic (the temperature in the cave is 12-14o C all year around). It’s a deep, austere, mineral-driven wine with a complex nose with subtle aromas of soil, fresh red and black fruit notes and a whiff of spices in very good balance. In the palate it is very tight, fine, long with silky tannins, somehow closed. Fruit, fermentation and wood seem to play a secondary role in the wine that speaks mainly of the place. This might not be a wine for everybody, but I think it’s super! Drink 2016-2027. Telmo Rodriguez and his partner Pablo Eguzkiza produced some exceptional wines in 2010, which is no surprise, as they have been going from strength to strength in the last few years. The surprise is a new single vineyard bottling from Rioja; I think they have finally fulfilled their dream (I remember hearing this from Telmo 15 years ago) to have the privilege to own some exceptional vineyards and produce small quantities of wines from them. They now have As Caborcas in Valdeorras, Las Beatas in Rioja, and others will come from Ribera del Duero, from Cebreros. Some exciting wines are in the pipeline. Imported by Vintus Wine, Pleasantville NY; tel. (914) 769-3000; vintuswines.com

The 2009 Altos de Lanzaga has a more introverted bouquet than the 2007: tightly coiled with fine delineation and purity. The palate is beautifully defined with great weight and intensity without compromising upon its elegance and poise. Like the 2007, there is a Burgundy like allure to this weight, with tremendous clarity on the finish. “Stunning” is the word that springs to mind. Drink 2015-2025+ As well as visiting his family estate of Remelluri, I made a brief visit to Telmo Rodriguez’s minuscule, antediluvian winery in the village of Lanciego. It reminded me of setting foot in some of Burgundy’s more artisan domaines: cramped conditions, ancient cobwebbed walls, the acrid tang of mold and decades of winemaking. Telmo mentioned that authorities had tried to persuade him to at least concrete the floor, but he refuses, not wishing to tamper with the authenticity of the winery. I tasted wines from foudres that I will review once bottled. For now, I will concentrate upon those that are already in bottle, because they are spectacular. Telmo sees Altos de Lanzaga as the equivalent of a “premier cru” in Burgundy, sourced from 35-year-old vine grown on red soil that is fermented in cement vats and aged in foudres and casks. His aim is to find the character of the village of his vines within the ambit of Lanciego. Importer: Michael Quintus, Vintus Importers, Pleasantville, NY; www.vintuswines.com