Yjar 2017

The inaugural 2017 vintage of Yjar is the most hotly anticipated wine of Fall 2021.  Described by critics like James Suckling as “a Rioja stunner,” and Jane Anson as, “a cult wine in the making,” Yjar definitely has people talking.  At Laguna Cellar, we’ve always wanted to bring on a premium Rioja but were waiting for just the right wine to introduce to our clientele.  Wine critic Jane Anson put it best when she recommended Yjar as a “must buy” of 2021 and we couldn’t help but pay attention to this producer that is forcing the whole world to stop and take notice of one of Spain’s most prestigious regions.  Yjar is simply groundbreaking.  It is the first Rioja wine to be distributed through La Place de Bordeaux and is building a long awaited viticultural connection between France and Spain.  A passion project of the legendary Spanish winemaker Telmo Rodríguez of the iconic Rioja producer Remelluri, Yjar hosts a promising future as a wine that could be a true icon from this exalted region. 

Yjar has a distinctive history that dates back to the 1400s.  The vineyards are located at the foothills of Sierra de Toloño, where some of the highest altitude vineyards are planted at a stunning 600-800 meters above sea level.  The property was initially a sanctuary that was managed by Hieronymite Monks in the 1400s.  They tended to the land for several years but eventually abandoned the property.  It was subsequently acquired by the Divisia de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Toloño, a cooperative of sorts who managed the vineyards and farm for five centuries.  The property was once again abandoned in the 1800s after a fire in the Monastery, and it sat uninhabited until the 1960s.  Eventually it was purchased by a Basque family who spent 50 years rehabilitating the vineyards and the estate.  Telmo Rodríguez took interest in the 3.8 hectare estate about ten years ago, and that is when Yjar’s trajectory started to shift in an exciting direction.

Telmo Rodríguez is a world class winemaker whose motto is, “The future lies in the past.” His philosophy is less about reinventing the wheel and more about recovering regions and rediscovering the essence of Rioja.  Telmo Rodríguez studied winemaking in Bordeaux and was mentored by some impressive figureheads within the industry including Bruno Prats, the legendary former owner of Château Cos d’Estournel, and Gérard Chave, the winemaking megastar who owned the second-to-none Hermitage producer his son now helms, Jean Louis Chave.

Yjar is a mixture of old vines of Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha, Granegro and Rojal that are all indigenous to the region.  The vines are selected from the property’s oldest and finest plots, then vinified and aged in French oak barriques for 30 months. Rioja has experienced more than its fair share of ups and downs as a region, and Telmo Rodríguez is determined to prove this appellation is capable of producing world class wines.  So far, he is doing just that with Yjar. 

"The new top-of-the-range is the 2017 Yjar, a difficult name in most languages, selected because the property used to be managed by the Duque de Híjar—this is just a different spelling. It's a red produced with Tempranillo and a significant amount of Garnacha grapes from selected soils from Remelluri. It's a wine that transcends the vintage, with spicy notes, a complex and changing nose, really harmonious, serious, with super sleek tannins, seamless with a polished mouthfeel with a chalky finish. This is a separate project and with a different style from Remelluri (closer, perhaps, to the style of the personal wines from Telmo Rodríguez. It's a wine that will be sold through the Place de Bordeaux, the result of their understanding of the soils from the property, something they knew empirically but for which they now have a more scientific explanation. It feels younger and less developed than the classical wines from Remelluri. It matured mostly in foudre, and there is no trace of oak; the wine feels very young, clean and modern. It's a great effort for a challenging year. It should develop nicely in bottle. 7,000 bottles produced." - Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate (8/19/2021), Ratings: 96, Drink: 2021-2030

"Very ripe red with plums, figs, dark chocolate, walnuts and cloves. Full-bodied with round and layered tannins that show ripeness and intensity. Fruit-forward, but formed and powerful. Plush and high-toned. Savory finish. From 3.8 hectares of vineyards. It’s a field blend of tempranillo, graciano, garnacha, granegro and rojal. Shows the ripeness of the vintage with structure and freshness. Crazy wine. Outstanding first bottling of this wine, with global distribution only through negociations in Bordeaux. Better after 2025." -James Suckling, Ratings: 97

"The first time a Spanish Rioja has been offered via the Place de Bordeaux. The new wine by oenologist-winemaker Telmo Rodriguez, was definitely one of the wines of the tasting. It is a 3.8-hectare, single-vineyard cuvée from the limestone foothills of the Sierra de Toloño in Rioja Alavesa and made from a massal selection of Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha, Granegro and Rojal. A gorgeously dense and rich nose, concentrated and a balanced combination of perfumed elements, fruit and spices - cherries, ripe plums and liquorice. Tannins gently settle on the tongue but the flavours are impactful and so precise. It’s a bold wine but seriously defined and charming, super fresh and elegant. And you really feel the limestone terroir in the clarity and cleanliness of flavour. Superb. A production of 7,000 bottles that will be sold in its entirety through Bordeaux." Georgina Hindle, Decanter (7/19/2021) Rating: 98, Drink: 2021-2031