Abel Mendoza, Tempranillo Blanco, DOCa Rioja, Spain, 2023

Producer Profile

Modest, passionate and in no small part obsessive, Abel Mendoza and Maite Fernández have been making understated wines from their old vine vineyards, high up in the Cantabrian mountains near San Vicente de la Sonsierra since the late 80s.

His intimate knowledge of the diverse terroirs in this spectacular part of Rioja is enthralling, and every barrel tasted reveals startling provenance and true character of the vintage. Abel doesn’t make wines that flatter, they don’t speak of oak regimes, but rather of the quality of his fruit, expressed in its most honest form.

Viticulture

Calcareous clay soils, hand picked grapes from different plots of young vines.

Winemaking

Fermentation in new french barrels and 5 months battonage until bottlling.

Oak Ageing

Time: 5 Months
Type: French
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: 100

Tasting Note

Ripe yellow fruit on a very intense nose. With more acidity than the red Tempranillo, this is a grape with a great future in Rioja, especially in cold years. It has great length, volume and persistence.

Food Matching

Fish and Rice, White meat, White and oily Fish

Awards

Tim Atkins Rioja Special Report 2025 93 Points
Abel Mendoza’s Tempranillo Blanco hails from some of his youngest vines, sourced from three plots in San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Barrel fermented in new French oak, with regular lees stirring for added texture, this has aromas of boiled sweets and baking spices and a palate of passion fruit and white peach. 2025-28. 93 Points, TA, February 2025.