The vineyard-centred approach earning renown at Bodegas Ysios
Finca El Nogal, one of Bodegas Ysios’ single vineyard expressions, secured a Master medal at The Rioja Masters 2025 thanks to its characteristic concentration.
The dynamic, glistening waves of its winery roof may be the first thing to catch your eye at Bodegas Ysios, but to understand the winery’s real treasures, you have to get closer to ground level. They may be less glamorous, but the vineyards that make up the Rioja Alavesa estate are deemed its ‘most prized treasures’. Along with its broader blends, Bodegas Ysois has used them to offer a lineup of single vineyard – or finca – wines.
Among them sits Finca El Nogal. Named for the walnut tree that sits in its lower part, the 1.3 hectare vineyard produces just 1,200 bottles in the year. Its size, however, is no restriction on its quality; it has been classified as a Viñedo Singular, the designation under DOCa Rioja for exceptional single vineyard wines.
Geography provides plenty of the reasons why. Its cool clay-calcareous soils have modest fertility, promoting concentration rather than abundant growth. Yet the southwest exposure ensures adequate sunlight to optimise the ripening process. Finca El Nogal also sits at a reasonably high elevation of 570 metres. Overall, the site ensures concentration and a shorter vegetative season – perfect for low yields and high quality.
The vines themselves further emphasise concentration. Planted in 1964, the dry-farmed bush vines of Finca El Nogal are well adjusted to Rioja’s heat and deeply rooted in the fossil-laden soil. That gives them the resilience to yield complex and powerful fruit each year, even if at lower yields.
That was particularly the case in 2020. It was a vintage defined by a singular challenge – Covid-19 – for the winery. In the vineyards, however, it is the weather that will be remembered.
The season, particularly in late summer and autumn, saw marked diurnal range, with hot days and cold nights. For lovers of concentrated wines, you could not ask for better conditions. The days had the effect of creating ripe aromas and softer tannins, but the nights preserved the acidity to provide balance.
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With a vineyard so disposed to concentration the work in the winery is relatively light touch. Once manually harvested (to avoid any loss of aroma or spoilage), the grapes undergo a pre-fermentation maceration to extract the elegant ruby colour. Finca El Nogal ferments in large wooden vats for fourteen days, with punching down to extract tannin and flavour. It then ages for 16 months in a combination of 500 litre oak barrels and concrete eggs; the process softening and developing the wine, but allowing it to retain its freshness.
That balancing act certainly impressed judges at The Rioja Masters 2025. In the blind-tasted session, they awarded the highest band of medal to Bodegas Ysios Finca El Nogal: a Master medal.
Patrick Schmitt MW provides his tasting note below.
Bodegas Ysios Finca El Nogal 2020
- Producer: Bodegas Ysios
- Grape variety: 100% Tempranillo
- ABV: 15%
- Approx. retail price: £73
A benchmark single-vineyard varietal Tempranillo expressing the wonders of old vines in this incredible wine region. Expect masses of powerful flavours, all in harmony, from cherry jam to chocolate, blackberry to cracked pepper, toast to cedar, and then a long finish, featuring a mouthwatering mix of orange zest and firm tannins. Enjoy with anything fresh from the grill.
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