Bodegas Bagordi, Rioja

Bagordi is one of the very young bodegas that owe their existence to the dynamism of Spain's wine market in the 1990s. In the middle of that decade, a down-to-earth but enterprising winegrower and one of the leading specialists in modern cellar equipment joined forces to build this ultramodern bodega. Technically, everything is first-class, yet designed to make the most of the grapes while handling them as gently as possible. Bagordi's first organic wine reached the market with the 1998 vintage. For us, it was a small sensation: in very traditional Rioja, we had longed for a good organic Rioja. The abrupt fall in Rioja prices made the founders' start difficult. Despite excellent quality, much of the 1999 harvest had to be sold in bulk. Now, however, the first 2000 wines are emerging from barriques and seamlessly continuing the excellence of the wonderful 1998s. Given their quality, Rioja's current prices make them remarkable bargains. Uncompromising when it comes to quality, the first organic wines in 1998 immediately revealed the fantastic possibilities offered by the vineyards and cellar. Several years have passed since then, and Bagordi has proved that it works with great care at a consistently high level.