Michelle's Ultimate Rioja Wine Experience Box

Definitely in the cool and funky section, Allegra & Valganon Blanco is a beautifully textural white Rioja made from Viura, Tempranillo Blanco and Garnacha Blanca. Rich, creamy and incredibly complete, it opens with peaches and cream, ripe orchard fruit and subtle citrus, before unfolding into a lush, layered palate with real finesse and freshness. The high altitude vineyards bring tension and lift to the wine, while the long, silky finish gives this white Rioja a luxurious feel that lingers beautifully. This is a stunning Spanish white wine for lovers of creamy, complex whites with freshness, texture and depth.

Allegra & Valganon is an emotional and passionate project founded by a former engineer who left his previous career to study winemaking in Italy before returning to Rioja to focus on terroir-driven wines. Based in Sajazarra, a little-known village west of Haro in Northern Rioja, the vineyards sit between 500 and 600 metres above sea level in a cold, windy continental climate with chalky and sandy soils that naturally produce grapes with thick skins, freshness and concentration. The region is known for its more austere tannins, leaner texture and finesse compared to the richer, clay-driven wines of Southern Rioja, which is why the wines here age so beautifully in large foudres. With just 9 hectares under vine and a focus on elegance over power, Allegra & Valganon is becoming one of the most exciting boutique producers in Rioja for drinkers seeking modern, textured and site-specific Spanish wines.

Akutain Reserva is a beautifully traditional yet vibrant Rioja Reserva with a dark, savoury personality and striking freshness. Initially slightly wild and earthy on opening, the wine quickly unfolds into layers of dry spice, dark cherry, tobacco, cedar and smoky black fruit, all lifted by really refreshing acidity that keeps the palate energetic and alive. Made predominantly from Tempranillo with small amounts of Garnacha and the rare Maturano grape, this non-filtered Rioja has incredible depth and structure thanks to the thick-skinned grapes produced in the cooler climate around Haro. Aged in a combination of 70% American oak and 30% French oak, the wine balances classic Rioja warmth and spice with precision, tension and a long, savoury finish.

Akutain is a tiny family-run Rioja producer led by Jean, whose family purchased the land in 1978 before planting the vineyards over 40 years ago. Located just west of Haro at a unique meeting point between Atlantic and Mediterranean influences, the vineyards benefit from long, slow ripening cycles that build complexity, structure and freshness in the grapes. While 80% of grapes grown in Rioja are sold on to large wineries or co-operatives, Akutain remains one of the small number of estates growing and bottling its own fruit, with just 7 hectares under vine and the freedom to take risks with harvest dates and winemaking decisions. The wines are made traditionally with gentle micro-oxygenation through oak ageing, multiple rackings instead of filtration or fining, and a philosophy that allows each vineyard and vintage to speak clearly through the wine.

Artuke Pies Negros Rioja is a beautifully vibrant and medium-bodied red wine from the cooler, high-altitude vineyards of Rioja Alavesa in the Basque Country. Made primarily from Tempranillo with small amounts of Graciano and white varieties co-fermented together, this Rioja is all about texture, freshness and elegance rather than heavy oak or power. Soft, coating tannins give the wine a velvet-like texture, while crunchy red fruit, tart red apple and dark summer berries bring brightness and energy across the palate. A year in barrel adds subtle spice and depth, but the focus here is purity, finesse and drinkability, making this a modern Rioja with incredible freshness and a long, refined finish.

Artuke was founded in 1991 and is now run by Arturo and Kike, second-generation winemakers and fifth-generation grape growers who focus obsessively on vineyard expression over cellar manipulation. Their 36 hectares are divided across more than 100 plots throughout Rioja Alavesa, with vineyards planted on poor gravelly soils rich in chalk and iron at altitudes reaching 690 metres above sea level. The cooler climate and later-ripening sites in villages like Samaniego help preserve freshness and structure, although harvest dates have shifted from October into September due to climate change. Artuke has become one of the leading names in the new wave of Rioja producers, focusing on co-fermentation, plot identity and elegant, terroir-driven wines that showcase a fresher, more refined expression of Tempranillo.