Some (un)expected news has ROCKED the World Tour peloton! The only way we can wrap our heads around this VERY shocking news is with another sensational /WORLD TOUR WINE/ !!

This bottle marks the ninth stage of the Vuelta, which snakes along the valley between the Ebro River and the Sierra de Cebollera in the Northern Iberian Mountains. This is Rioja, one of Spain's greatest wine regions. It is famous for its complex, age-worthy red wines made chiefly of Tempranillo, heavily barrel-aged (usually in American oak). We have previously enjoyed a very nice bottle of Rioja Tinto in the Itzulia Basque Country but today are trying something a bit different.

Cuentavinas Arriscado 2023 ($115)

This is a blend of Garnacha Blanca, Tempranillo, and Viura old vines on mostly limestone soil in San Vicente de la Sonsieera. This is apparently biodynamic. It pours a pale yellow. The nose is extremely clean, really no oak to discern. There is light pineapple fruit and wet stone. The palate is medium, rounded but with a nice acidity that just cuts through the fat. The wine is profoundly mineral, with echoing stone. 

For the price, this is too simple. It is finely built and the minerality is beautiful but there is very little interesting about this. Apparently prices shot up massively after a good review from the Wine Advocate for the 2022 vintage, but this is a bit of a disappointment.