2018 Bodegas Pujanza Norte

Type of Wine | |
---|---|
Country | Spain |
Region | |
Appellation | |
Winery | |
Vintage | 2018 |
Grape | |
Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (14.5%) |
Drink window | 2022 - 2034 |
- Buy 6 for 53.95 44.59 each and save 7%
In stock
6 items available
Description
The Pujanza Norte comes from the 2.7 hectare El Norte vineyard at an altitude of 720 meters which consists of clay-limestone soils, the layers of limestone are only 50 cm below the surface. The winemaker puts flowers on the vineyard, so that the vines have to go deeper for water, which, among other things, gives the wine its special character. The vineyard is worked according to the rules of ecological viticulture and the grapes are harvested by hand. The Finca Norte vineyard is one of the highest vineyards in the Rioja and this makes this Norte Rioja an elegant and very balanced wine.
The Pujanza Norte has had 14 months of education in French oak. The Pujanza Norte has an intense nose with aromas of fresh red fruit, licorice, light vanilla notes, some smokiness, fresh herbs and a beautiful minerality. The wine shows complexity and freshness, and is very expressive. Also fine wood, spiciness and at the end a bit of the smell of ink. Full body, nice acidity, all nicely balanced with strong tannins. The Pujanza Norte is an elegant, powerful yet fresh wine and has beautiful refined tannins, which gives this wine a nice drinking window. A wonderfully exciting wine with unanimously high scores year-in-year-out. The wine was chosen by Tim Atkins as Wine of the Year -
AWARDS: The Wine Advocate: 96 Tim Atkin: 97 “Wine of the Year” James Suckling: 93 Guía Proensa: 99 Guía Gourmets: 97
Carlos San Pedro and his team are constantly working to improve the performance of their vineyards. With an almost manic approach, they are always trying to improve the quality of the wines even further. Pujanza belongs to the new style of winemakers in the Rioja where the focus is on absolute top quality with an emphasis on the fruit. The fact that Penin and Parker without exception rate the wines of this house well above 90 points (so the absolute honorary division) says enough. The Norte and the Cisma are the top models of Pujanza. The white wines of Pujanza have been voted the best white wines in Spain by Decanter and Tim Atkins.
GOOD FACT: in the tab: Attachment you will find the official factsheet of this great wine
Specifications
Packing information | Box |
---|---|
Type of Wine | Red |
Country | Spain |
Region | Rioja |
Appellation | Rioja Alavesa |
Winery | Bodegas Pujanza |
Grape | Tempranillo |
Biological certified | No |
Natural wine | No |
Vegan | No |
Vintage | 2018 |
Drinking as of | 2022 |
Drinking till | 2034 |
Alcohol % | 14.5 |
Alcohol free/low | No |
Content | 0.75 ltr |
Oak aging | Yes |
Sparkling | No |
Dessert wine | No |
Closure | Cork |
Promotion | Tier Price |
Parker rating | 96 |
James Suckling rating | 93 |
Vinous rating | 99 |
Tasting Profiles | Aards, Complex, Droog, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Kruidig, Rood fruit, Tannines, Vol |
Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard, Romantisch |
Professional Reviews
Parker
Rating
96
Release Price
$100
Drink Date
2021 - 2030
Reviewed by
Luis Gutiérrez
Issue Date
30th Oct 2020
Source
Issue 251 End of October 2020, The Wine Advocate
I was really looking forward to the 2018 Norte, the top-of-the-range red from a north-facing plot in Laguardia at some 720 meters in altitude, from a vintage with similarities to the 2016 I love. The wine has a rare combination of power and elegance, of ripeness and freshness that denotes a special place. Like the rest of reds, it fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, with malolactic in those same containers followed by 12 months in French oak barrels (slightly less than in the past) and eight months in concrete. I caught this wine in a slightly awkward moment; the oak was quite noticeable and there was a bit of volatility. It was bottled later because of COVID-19, so it had been bottled a couple of weeks before I tasted it. In any case, San Pedro didn't use any new oak in this wine or, as a matter of fact, in any of the other wines, and the time in barrel was also shortened in this wine. The palate has the balance, the freshness and the depth to overcome this, and I'm sure this wine is going to bloom with a little more time in bottle. The wine is not a powerhouse; this is a more delicate year. With a couple of hours in the glass, the wine shows a lot more poise and harmony, which only reinforced my beliefs. 11,000 bottles produced. It will be released in April 2021. Every year this wine is released in April.
Carlos San Pedro works 40 hectares of vineyards in Laguardia and produces around 200,000 bottles of the ultimate modern Rioja. I tasted all 2018s, a very mineral and austere vintage with moderate alcohol and good freshness. The Norte plot was harvested in November, the cycle was very long and the grapes ripened thoroughly and slowly. He calls it "more radical" than 2016, with lower alcohol, fresher aromas and more minerality, tension and clout. This is a vintage that is going to age with grace. The vintages are quite marked here, and I saw the typicity of 2008 very clear here. In 2019, there will be a new wine from an extremely old vineyard.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
The Wine Advocate: 96 Tim Atkin: 97 “Wine of the Year” James Suckling: 93 Guía Proensa: 99 Guía Gourmets: 97
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
99
The Wine Advocate: 96 Tim Atkin: 97 “Wine of the Year” James Suckling: 93 Guía Proensa: 99 Guía Gourmets: 97
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
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Wijnhuis
A quick introduction to Bodegas Pujanza: a relatively young Rioja estate that quickly made its mark with characterful wines.
History and background of Bodegas Pujanza
Carlos San Pedro, the fourth generation of a winemaking family in Laguardia, released his first wine under the Pujanza name in 1998. He started with 15 hectares of vineyards and has since grown to almost 40 hectares. All of it lies in the heart of Rioja Alavesa, at altitude, where cool nights shape the fruit. In just two decades the estate has become a key player in the region.
Location and terroir of Bodegas Pujanza
All vineyards are located within about 4 km of the winery, around the medieval town of Laguardia. The position in the Ebro valley, sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria, creates a unique microclimate: warm days, cool nights, and limestone-rich soils. This brings slow ripening, aromatic depth, and a fresh line of acidity.
Grape varieties: Tempranillo and Viura
The estate works only with two native grapes: Tempranillo for the reds and Viura for the whites. Everything comes from their own vineyards, with close attention to each plot.
Specialities: single-vineyard wines and more
- Hado: entry-level Tempranillo from different parcels, bright fruit, aged 12 months in French oak.
- Finca Valdepoleo: the original 17.5 ha vineyard at about 630 m altitude, later lending its name to this cuvée.
- Norte: one of the highest plots (around 720 m), on limestone soils, powerful yet fresh with striking structure.
- La Paul: a newer addition, a small vineyard with its own microclimate at about 600 m, fermented spontaneously, partly in concrete and partly in oak. Elegant and balanced.
- Cisma: a rare bottling from a century-old parcel (La Valcabada), produced in tiny quantities, distinctive in style.
- Añadas Frías: white Viura from the San Juan plot (about 600 m), made only in cooler vintages such as 2007, 2010, and 2013.
Interesting facts about Bodegas Pujanza
- Carlos divides each vineyard - except for Cisma - into smaller subplots and vinifies them separately. They are only blended just before bottling to reach the desired balance.
- No cultured yeasts are used, and new oak is limited. Ageing takes place mainly in seasoned barrels for longer periods.
- Critics such as Parker and Peñín consistently award the wines over 90 points.
Order Bodegas Pujanza online?
At Grandcruwijnen you can easily order wines from Bodegas Pujanza. They are stored in a conditioned Wine Warehouse, so they arrive in perfect shape. If you choose ‘Pick up’ at checkout, you’ll see an instant discount applied right away.
The Pujanza Norte comes from the 2.7 hectare El Norte vineyard at an altitude of 720 meters which consists of clay-limestone soils, the layers of limestone are only 50 cm below the surface. The winemaker puts flowers on the vineyard, so that the vines have to go deeper for water, which, among other things, gives the wine its special character. The vineyard is worked according to the rules of ecological viticulture and the grapes are harvested by hand. The Finca Norte vineyard is one of the highest vineyards in the Rioja and this makes this Norte Rioja an elegant and very balanced wine.
The Pujanza Norte has had 14 months of education in French oak. The Pujanza Norte has an intense nose with aromas of fresh red fruit, licorice, light vanilla notes, some smokiness, fresh herbs and a beautiful minerality. The wine shows complexity and freshness, and is very expressive. Also fine wood, spiciness and at the end a bit of the smell of ink. Full body, nice acidity, all nicely balanced with strong tannins. The Pujanza Norte is an elegant, powerful yet fresh wine and has beautiful refined tannins, which gives this wine a nice drinking window. A wonderfully exciting wine with unanimously high scores year-in-year-out. The wine was chosen by Tim Atkins as Wine of the Year -
AWARDS: The Wine Advocate: 96 Tim Atkin: 97 “Wine of the Year” James Suckling: 93 Guía Proensa: 99 Guía Gourmets: 97
Carlos San Pedro and his team are constantly working to improve the performance of their vineyards. With an almost manic approach, they are always trying to improve the quality of the wines even further. Pujanza belongs to the new style of winemakers in the Rioja where the focus is on absolute top quality with an emphasis on the fruit. The fact that Penin and Parker without exception rate the wines of this house well above 90 points (so the absolute honorary division) says enough. The Norte and the Cisma are the top models of Pujanza. The white wines of Pujanza have been voted the best white wines in Spain by Decanter and Tim Atkins.
GOOD FACT: in the tab: Attachment you will find the official factsheet of this great wine
Packing information | Box |
---|---|
Type of Wine | Red |
Country | Spain |
Region | Rioja |
Appellation | Rioja Alavesa |
Winery | Bodegas Pujanza |
Grape | Tempranillo |
Biological certified | No |
Natural wine | No |
Vegan | No |
Vintage | 2018 |
Drinking as of | 2022 |
Drinking till | 2034 |
Alcohol % | 14.5 |
Alcohol free/low | No |
Content | 0.75 ltr |
Oak aging | Yes |
Sparkling | No |
Dessert wine | No |
Closure | Cork |
Promotion | Tier Price |
Parker rating | 96 |
James Suckling rating | 93 |
Vinous rating | 99 |
Tasting Profiles | Aards, Complex, Droog, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Kruidig, Rood fruit, Tannines, Vol |
Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard, Romantisch |
Parker
Rating
96
Release Price
$100
Drink Date
2021 - 2030
Reviewed by
Luis Gutiérrez
Issue Date
30th Oct 2020
Source
Issue 251 End of October 2020, The Wine Advocate
I was really looking forward to the 2018 Norte, the top-of-the-range red from a north-facing plot in Laguardia at some 720 meters in altitude, from a vintage with similarities to the 2016 I love. The wine has a rare combination of power and elegance, of ripeness and freshness that denotes a special place. Like the rest of reds, it fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, with malolactic in those same containers followed by 12 months in French oak barrels (slightly less than in the past) and eight months in concrete. I caught this wine in a slightly awkward moment; the oak was quite noticeable and there was a bit of volatility. It was bottled later because of COVID-19, so it had been bottled a couple of weeks before I tasted it. In any case, San Pedro didn't use any new oak in this wine or, as a matter of fact, in any of the other wines, and the time in barrel was also shortened in this wine. The palate has the balance, the freshness and the depth to overcome this, and I'm sure this wine is going to bloom with a little more time in bottle. The wine is not a powerhouse; this is a more delicate year. With a couple of hours in the glass, the wine shows a lot more poise and harmony, which only reinforced my beliefs. 11,000 bottles produced. It will be released in April 2021. Every year this wine is released in April.
Carlos San Pedro works 40 hectares of vineyards in Laguardia and produces around 200,000 bottles of the ultimate modern Rioja. I tasted all 2018s, a very mineral and austere vintage with moderate alcohol and good freshness. The Norte plot was harvested in November, the cycle was very long and the grapes ripened thoroughly and slowly. He calls it "more radical" than 2016, with lower alcohol, fresher aromas and more minerality, tension and clout. This is a vintage that is going to age with grace. The vintages are quite marked here, and I saw the typicity of 2008 very clear here. In 2019, there will be a new wine from an extremely old vineyard.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
The Wine Advocate: 96 Tim Atkin: 97 “Wine of the Year” James Suckling: 93 Guía Proensa: 99 Guía Gourmets: 97
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
99
The Wine Advocate: 96 Tim Atkin: 97 “Wine of the Year” James Suckling: 93 Guía Proensa: 99 Guía Gourmets: 97
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
A quick introduction to Bodegas Pujanza: a relatively young Rioja estate that quickly made its mark with characterful wines.
History and background of Bodegas Pujanza
Carlos San Pedro, the fourth generation of a winemaking family in Laguardia, released his first wine under the Pujanza name in 1998. He started with 15 hectares of vineyards and has since grown to almost 40 hectares. All of it lies in the heart of Rioja Alavesa, at altitude, where cool nights shape the fruit. In just two decades the estate has become a key player in the region.
Location and terroir of Bodegas Pujanza
All vineyards are located within about 4 km of the winery, around the medieval town of Laguardia. The position in the Ebro valley, sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria, creates a unique microclimate: warm days, cool nights, and limestone-rich soils. This brings slow ripening, aromatic depth, and a fresh line of acidity.
Grape varieties: Tempranillo and Viura
The estate works only with two native grapes: Tempranillo for the reds and Viura for the whites. Everything comes from their own vineyards, with close attention to each plot.
Specialities: single-vineyard wines and more
- Hado: entry-level Tempranillo from different parcels, bright fruit, aged 12 months in French oak.
- Finca Valdepoleo: the original 17.5 ha vineyard at about 630 m altitude, later lending its name to this cuvée.
- Norte: one of the highest plots (around 720 m), on limestone soils, powerful yet fresh with striking structure.
- La Paul: a newer addition, a small vineyard with its own microclimate at about 600 m, fermented spontaneously, partly in concrete and partly in oak. Elegant and balanced.
- Cisma: a rare bottling from a century-old parcel (La Valcabada), produced in tiny quantities, distinctive in style.
- Añadas Frías: white Viura from the San Juan plot (about 600 m), made only in cooler vintages such as 2007, 2010, and 2013.
Interesting facts about Bodegas Pujanza
- Carlos divides each vineyard - except for Cisma - into smaller subplots and vinifies them separately. They are only blended just before bottling to reach the desired balance.
- No cultured yeasts are used, and new oak is limited. Ageing takes place mainly in seasoned barrels for longer periods.
- Critics such as Parker and Peñín consistently award the wines over 90 points.
Order Bodegas Pujanza online?
At Grandcruwijnen you can easily order wines from Bodegas Pujanza. They are stored in a conditioned Wine Warehouse, so they arrive in perfect shape. If you choose ‘Pick up’ at checkout, you’ll see an instant discount applied right away.