Bodegas Solar Viejo

A medium-sized Rioja bodega just to the north of Laguardia, next to the ‘wave’ building that is Bodegas Ysios. They own six hectares, but have 100 more under contact with growers, and aim to expand now they are part of Freixenet, and most of these are in the Rioja Alavesa.

The views are great, with ‘Lion Mountain’ away to the north brooding over a patchwork of small vineyards. Grapes are all hand-harvested, the winery modern and functional rather than state-of-the-art. They have 5,000 barrels, 60% American oak, and change a fifth every year. They produce 3 million bottles a year. The style is soft, with a good lick of oak but correspondingly ripe fruit and acidity to balance it.