US
Our father Miguel Merino started his career in wine export in the 70s. As the years passed, he fell further in love with the world of wine and began to dream of owning a small boutique “bodega” that focused solely on low-production high-quality wines. Briones, in the heart of Rioja Alta, offered all the condtions he was looking for to make this dream come true. Old steep vineyards, different soil types and a climate showing a marked Atlantic influence. Declared a town of historic and artistic merit, Briones was the perfect spot. In 1994, Miguel Merino fermented his first vintage.
Over the years the winery grew from strength to strength. In the meantime, my wife Érika and I gained valuable experience in other wineries in and outside La Rioja. In 2017 we decided to join the team and took charge of the viticulture and winemaking process. My father asked us to emphasize on quality so we could further refine our style. Today we continue to follow in his footsteps and enjoy making wine more than ever.
ALL OF THEM ARE HARVESTED BY HAND AND THEIR GRAPES TRASPORTED IN SMALL CRATES
THE WINES
All our vineyards are located in slopes of our town, Briones. They were planted between 1929 and 2001, in diverse types of soil and different sun exposures. All of them are harvested by hand and their grapes transported in small crates so that they arrive to the winery in the best conditions. Once there, all the bunches are checked again in the sorting table. The selected grapes are sent to the vats through a peristaltic system, where fermentation will take place at controlled temperature.
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MIGUEL MERINO RESERVA
Balance and harmony are the key of a good Reserva wine. Nothing must be missing, but nothing should outstand: fruit, intensity, structure, longitude and personality must play in unison as a good orchestra. And that is what we look for with this wine made from vineyards planted in the 60’s.
MIGUEL MERINO RESERVA 2019
· Vines of Tempranillo and Graciano (4%) planted in the 1960s in Briones.
· Two years in 27 barrels (70% new) made with American oak staves and French oak tops. Three years in bottle before release.
· 7,100 bottles and 378 magnum.
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MIGUEL MERINO GRAN RESERVA
Only in the great vintages we select the best bunches from our oldest vines to make our Gran Reserva, a wine of great elegance, subtle but intense and persistent.
MIGUEL MERINO GRAN RESERVA 2019
· Vines of Tempranillo and Graciano (4%) planted in the 1950s and 1960s in Briones.
· Two years in 17 new French oak barrels plus a third year in used barrels. Followed by a minimum two years of bottle aging.
· 4,170 bottles and 378 magnum.
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VITOLA RESERVA
Vitola Reserva comes from vines planted in slopes facing Northwest in the seventies. Their altitude and sun exposure let us make this subtle, deep and balanced reserva wine.
VITOLA RESERVA 2020
· Vines of Tempranillo and Graciano (4%) planted in the 1970S in Briones, facing North-East.
· Two years in 28 French oak barrels (30% new)
· 8,216 bottles.
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MIGUEL MERINO VIÑAS JÓVENES
Old vines do not live forever. In order to have access to such special vines in the future as we do today, we needed to start working on younger vineyards as well. With their grapes we make our Miguel Merino Viñas Jóvenes.
MIGUEL MERINO VIÑAS JÓVENES 2022
· Vines of Tempranillo, Graciano and Garnacha of 10 to 20 years of age.
· 12 months in second-use barrels, previously used for our reserva wines.
· 22,500 bottles.
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LA QUINTA CRUZ MAZUELO
One of the very few wines in Rioja made only with Mazuelo grapes, and the only single-vineyard one. The hard conditions of our Quinta Cruz Vineyard (steep slope, poor pebblely soil) give us some very singular grapes to make this special wine that changes enormously from one vintage to another.
LA QUINTA CRUZ MAZUELO 2021
· 100% Mazuelo from La Quinta Cruz vineyard, planted in 1986 in Briones.
· 12 months aging in three used 500-liter bocoys and a 1,300L concrete tank.
· 3,499 bottles.
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LA LOMA MIGUEL MERINO
La Loma is a vineyard of 1’4 hectares planted in 1946 with Tempranillo and Garnacha. Since 2015 we ferment their grapes alone, making a unique wine.
LA LOMA MIGUEL MERINO 2021
· La Loma was planted in Briones with Tempranillo and Garnacha in 1946.
· 14 months in 4 French oak bocoys of 500 liters.
· 2,516 bottles.
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LA ÍNSULA
La Ínsula is a tiny little spot planted ungrafted with Garnacha before the Phylloxera attack of the end of the XIX Century. It is planted on a sand bank by the River Ebro, in Briones. We harvested its grapes in 2019 for the first time, just to fill a 500-litre oak barrel.
LA ÍNSULA 2022
· 100% Garnacha, from ungrafted vines on a sandy soil.
· 12 months in one 500-liter bocoy.
· 739 bottles.
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Miguel Merino BLANCO
Miguel Merino Blanco comes from two very special vineyards: Mingortiz (0’2 hectares planted with Viura in 1977) and La Loma (planted with Garnacha Blanca in 1946).
BLANCO 2022
· Viura (70%) and Garnacha Blanca (30%).
· Fermentation happens in 500-liter French oak barrels, followed by 10 months of aging on the lees in the same barrels.
· 4,231 bottles.
VISIT
THE MEMBERS OF OUR FAMILY WILL SHOW YOU OUR WINERY
Carretera de Logroño, 16. 26330 Briones. La Rioja.
