Close Menu
News Partner content

Ysios unveils masterful wines at Barcelona Wine Week

Sarah Jane Evans MW will join Bodegas Ysios winemaker Clara Canals to survey the winery’s top bottlings from its Rioja Alavesa terroir.

Bodegas Ysios – known for both its fine Riojas and its distinctive, undulating architecture – will present six wines at a masterclass at Barcelona Wine Week. The 45 minute session will allow visitors to acquaint themselves with the award-winning wines in the midst of a busy show.

Barcelona Wine Week is a unique platform to connect with wine lovers and professionals who share a passion for innovation and craftsmanship,” says Clara Canals, winemaker at the bodega since 2020. “At Ysios, we are excited to showcase our commitment to expressing the diversity of Rioja Alavesa through our wines.”

Included in the selection are three core wines: the red Ysios Selección 2019, Ysios Blanco 2022 and Ysios Rosé 2023. It is an auspicious trio, with all three expressions having achieved critical acclaim across their vintages, including Master and Gold medals at The Rioja Masters.

Its top wines, meanwhile, are on display to showcase Bodegas Ysios’ exacting approach in the vineyard. Ysios Grano o Grano 2021, itself a favourite of critics (see below), makes use of meticulously selected grapes. Its name, which translates as ‘grain by grain’ refers to the process of only picking the individual bunches that are perfect for the bottling.

Focused on terroir

Two single vineyard expressions will also be showcased to attendees. Ysios Finca El Nogal VS 2020 and Ysios Finca Las Naves VS 2019 are two wines that demonstrate Bodegas Ysios’ commitment to terroir. Both vineyards consist of bush vines planted between 540 and 580 metres above sea level, with Finca El Nogal in deep, clay-limestone soils while Finca Las Naves has a clay-sandy profile.

The two vineyards, moreover, reflect a central theme of Barcelona Wine Week 2025: old vines. The fair is highlighting Spain’s significant resource of layered wines from decades-old vines, and Ysios’ wines certainly fits that bill. Finca El Nogal goes back to 1964 while the vines in Finca Las Naves pre-date 1902.

According to Canals, it is an opportunity to demonstrate the quality inherent to Rioja Alavesa: “This fair allows us to share the stories behind our wines—how we combine minimal intervention with precision winemaking to craft elegant expressions of Rioja. It’s a celebration of the artistry and heritage that define Ysios.”

As a teaser of the Ysios masterclass at Barcelona Wine Week, Patrick Schmitt MW provides his tasting note for one of the wines on show (tasted at The Rioja Masters 2024) below.

Ysios Grano a Grano 2021

  • Grape variety: 100% Tempranillo
  • ABV: 14.5%
  • Approx. retail price: £85

With a name – Grano a Grano, or grain by grain – referring to the practice of manually detaching each berry from its stems, this is a wine made with utmost care, and an aim to yield something with power and precision. For the drinker, that means a concentrated wine, with super-ripe, powerfully-flavoured red berry fruit, allied to notes of vanilla and chocolate from fermentation and ageing in new French barriques. As well as these characters, there are notes of spice and liquorice, and a rich mouthfeel, with a warming finish, featuring plenty of dry tannins.

Related news

Gonzalez Byass UK plans twist for milestone portfolio tasting

Three ways Spain is celebrating its winemaking heritage in 2025

Would you store your wine in the dragon’s mound?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

It looks like you're in Asia, would you like to be redirected to the Drinks Business Asia edition?

Yes, take me to the Asia edition No