Viña Ilusión
Viña Ilusión is ‘un vino sin maquillaje’ – a wine without makeup. It is produced from a tiny 5-hectare farm in Rioja Baja by Martín Alonso Etayo and Gloria Plaza Medina, who adopted a ‘do-nothing’ natural farming philosophy from the very start in 1992. The farm is dotted with fruit trees and cover crops grown between the rows of vines. The elevation of the vineyard – at 700m, one of the highest in Rioja Baja – is key to the purity of the wine. True to the non-interventionist philosophy of the project, the wine is unoaked, allowing the vibrancy of the fruit to shine.
Rioja Blanco ‘Viña Ilusión’
In the 20th century, a mutated, white version of Tempranillo was discovered and aptly named Tempranillo Blanco. This is a brilliant version. It is cultivated by Martín Alonso Etayo and his wife, Gloria, who run this most incredible estate in the Rioja Baja. Permaculture permeates and it was learned, first-hand, directly from Masanobu Fukuoka.
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: rioja
VINTAGE: 2023
STYLE: white
GRAPE: Tempranillo Blanco
FARMING: organic
FERMENTATION: stainless steel
MATURATION: stainless steel
FILTRATION: filtered
ALCOHOL: 13.5%
CASE SIZE: 6
Rioja ‘Viña Ilusión’
A true 'wine without makeup': energetic and juicy, brimming with bouncy pomegranate, plum, and floral aromas, hints of peppery spice and Mediterranean herbs. Generously textured and underlined by sweet, ripe tannins.
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: Rioja DOCa
VINTAGE: 2024
STYLE: red
GRAPES: tempranillo, garnacha, graciano
FARMING: organic
FERMENTATION: stainless steel
MATURATION: stainless steel
FILTRATION: filtered
VEGAN: yes
ALCOHOL: 12.5%
CASE SIZE: 6