From the Pérez Cuevas family in Rioja Oriental, this wine is produced with no added sulphites, but maintains all the quality and character of Ontañón Rioja wines.

Intense aromas of bramble, fig and plum fruit. There are also herbal, spicy, coffee and balsamic notes. The palate is complex, with notes of ripe blueberry and blackcurrant balanced by savoury, meaty characters, supple tannins and an appealing mineral character. Bright acidity leads to a long finish.

Bodegas Ontañón is a 5th generation family-owned and run winery in Rioja Baja (now Rioja Oriental). Here Raquel, Rubén and Maria Pérez Cuevas continue their father Gabriel's work to develop Bodegas Ontañón into one of the most highly-regarded wineries in Rioja. Ontañón has vast swathes of vineyard in this part of Rioja. Whilst wine production in the region is typically very dependent on contracts with grape growers, the Pérez Cuevas family has seen fit to invest heavily in the purchase of its own land and vines. Its 250ha is a testament to the importance it places on controlling grape quality.

The Tempranillo grapes are sourced from the Los Palos de Tanis, La Pasada and Viña María vineyards belonging to the Ontañón Family in the Sierra de Yerga, Rioja Oriental. Planting began here at the start of the 1990s, in very stony, loam-textured soils - at an average altitude of 680-800 metres. Sulphites aren't used for the production of this wine, in either the vineyard, or during the winemaking process, so the grapes are treated very carefully. They're picked by hand and transported to the winery in small crates. Here they undergo a rigorous selection process, and after destemming, are put into the press with dry ice. Fermentation takes place over seven days, with pigeage, to achieve a very high level of colour and aroma extraction. Only the free-run must is used, and malolactic fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in barrels for two weeks. Natural fining agents and filtration are employed before the wine is transferred to American oak casks, where it is aged for fifteen months before bottling. Oak ageing is rarely employed in wines with no added sulphites (due to the oxidative nature) however this wine is incredibly fresh and vibrant with an extra purity from not having the sulphites added.

Grilled lamb chops, where the freshness cuts through the fat are the perfect match.