Ontanon Contrebia Rioja Blanco / 2025 / 75cl

A long‑running, family‑run Rioja house, Ontañón has been one of the key champions of Tempranillo Blanco, working with high‑elevation sites around Quel and Tudelilla to emphasise freshness over weight. Contrebbia is made with a light touch: cool harvesting, gentle pressing, and fermentation in stainless steel to keep the aromatics bright, followed by a short period on fine lees for texture. The estate’s aim is always clarity and precision — a modern, fruit‑first expression of a still‑relatively‑young Rioja variety.

The wine shows that intent straight away. There’s lively pear, white peach, and a lift of citrus blossom, all carried by a clean, saline edge that feels very much of the Rioja Oriental hillsides. The palate is crisp and medium‑bodied, balancing orchard fruit with a subtle creamy note from the lees, finishing with a chalky snap that keeps everything taut. It’s an expressive, quietly distinctive Tempranillo Blanco with purity, drive and just enough texture to round out the freshness.

Bodegas Ontañón