Jose Gil

 Rioja Alevesa

Location San Vicente de la Sonsierra - 3 Ha
Grapes Garnacha, Tempranillo
Viticulture Sustainable
Producer Jose Gil
Website -
Location San Vicente de la Sonsierra - 3 Ha
Grapes Garnacha, Tempranillo
Viticulture Sustainable
Producer Jose Gil
Website -

"José Gill, one of the regions' best young talents"

- Tim Atkin


Josés' family farm vines around the village of  San Vicente de la Sonsierra and in the hills behind, as far north and as high as you can go in to the Alavesa. They own parcels that are frequently only 0.2 to 0.4 hectares of old vines which have become difficult to manage for Olmaza, the families Bodegas, also located in the village. Jose has taken these vines in hand to produce single terroir wines in a Burgundian style (he spent 2 years in Burgundy and 1 year in the  Mosel) that is redefining the attitude to terroir in Rioja today. Jose has already been spotlighted as one of the most exciting new growers in Rioja by both Tim Atkin MW and Luis Gutiérrez, even after just two vintages under his belt.

 

On our visit in November 2022 Jose made a plan for us to explore in more detail the vineyards and terroirs of his home village of San Vicente. Using Vicky’s Seat Leon, not a vineyard car it must be said, we were given a master class on the terroirs of San Vicente de la Sonsierra and the specific vineyards he uses for his village blend and for his cru wines. The time spent reinforced this region’s clear need to take itself more seriously from a terroir perspective, requiring more people like Jose to champion it and put their money where their mouth is. The village’s vineyards reach from Banos in the south-east to Labastida in the east, the Ebro to the south and the Cantabria in the north. Making it one of the largest of the communes on the left bank of the river. First the Ebro, where the soils are alluvial, sandstone and with pockets of clay and where we are at 400 metres. Moving northwest and on to the northern limits around Ribas at 750 metres and the soils take on different, softer, hue, where seven rivulets have formed separate gullies or valleys running from the Cantabrian mountains down to the flood plains. It is in these valleys that some of the most sought-after vineyards can be found due to the natural terracing and heterogenous soils and bedrock.


Jose Gil Wines for Wholesale Trade

San Vicente de la Sonsierra 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Viura. Selcted from the La Canoca, el Bardallo, San Martin and La Concova vineyards, which vary in height from 450 to 650 metres, but are all around 80 to 130 years old and sit on a mixture of sandy soils and alluvial flushes, to create a 'house blend'. 50% wholebunch, 50% destemmed fermented and aged in 50/50 concrete and old French oak . The result is both Rioja and Burgundy in style, with the palate of colours being Rioja, the structure being almost Burgundian, with silky tannins and true finessed complexity.
Vinedos en Labastida 100% Tempranillo from two sites in Labastida. One is 45 years old, the other 80. Both parcels sit on warmer sites below the village. Fermentation for this newest cuvee takes place in inox tanks with ageing in concrete and 500l French oak.
Bardallo 95% Tempranillo, 5% Viura. Vines sit on chalk and limestone at 515 meters with a north-west orientation.
La Canoca Tempranillo, Viura. 0,40 ha of 50yo vines at an altitude of 540 m. Conoca is one of the easternmost gullies of the village. Soil is clay and limestone with plenty of wild herbs (Thyme,Rosemary) .Manual harvest in 200kg bins. 100% Destemmed and all the plots are made separately. The final coupage is in the bottle. Ageing in used 300 litre barrels around 10 months in the medieval cellar in the San Vicente`s Castle.
Camino de Ribas Tempranillo and Garnacha from Concova valley, with the village of Ribas at the head. The oldest plot of Tempranillo with a high percentage of Garnacha at around 120 years at 610 metres. Sandy soil on sandstone rock with some calcium carbonate. Influenced heavily by northerly wind from the Cantabrians as Ribas is in a dip of the range allowing winds to flow over the top and down the valley. 10 months in French 500 litre oak.
San Vicente de la Sonsierra 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Viura. Selcted from the La Canoca, el Bardallo, San Martin and La Concova vineyards, which vary in height from 450 to 650 metres, but are all around 80 to 130 years old and sit on a mixture of sandy soils and alluvial flushes, to create a 'house blend'. 50% wholebunch, 50% destemmed fermented and aged in 50/50 concrete and old French oak . The result is both Rioja and Burgundy in style, with the palate of colours being Rioja, the structure being almost Burgundian, with silky tannins and true finessed complexity.
Vinedos en Labastida 100% Tempranillo from two sites in Labastida. One is 45 years old, the other 80. Both parcels sit on warmer sites below the village. Fermentation for this newest cuvee takes place in inox tanks with ageing in concrete and 500l French oak.
Bardallo 95% Tempranillo, 5% Viura. Vines sit on chalk and limestone at 515 meters with a north-west orientation.
La Canoca Tempranillo, Viura. 0,40 ha of 50yo vines at an altitude of 540 m. Conoca is one of the easternmost gullies of the village. Soil is clay and limestone with plenty of wild herbs (Thyme,Rosemary) .Manual harvest in 200kg bins. 100% Destemmed and all the plots are made separately. The final coupage is in the bottle. Ageing in used 300 litre barrels around 10 months in the medieval cellar in the San Vicente`s Castle.
Camino de Ribas Tempranillo and Garnacha from Concova valley, with the village of Ribas at the head. The oldest plot of Tempranillo with a high percentage of Garnacha at around 120 years at 610 metres. Sandy soil on sandstone rock with some calcium carbonate. Influenced heavily by northerly wind from the Cantabrians as Ribas is in a dip of the range allowing winds to flow over the top and down the valley. 10 months in French 500 litre oak.