YJAR (often written “Yjar”) is a single-vineyard red from Telmo Rodríguez’s Remelluri estate in Labastida, in Rioja Alavesa, on the limestone foothills of the Sierra de Toloño. The requested vintage is 2022, but within the available material there are no verified, vintage-specific technical details or critic scores for 2022. What can be stated with confidence is the estate and cuvée framework that has defined YJAR since its first release in 2017.
The wine comes from a small 3.8-hectare plot, described as limestone soils with “high carbonate concentration and scree slopes,” at higher-elevation vineyard ranges cited at roughly 600–800 meters. Plantings are a field blend of native grapes—most commonly listed as Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Graciano, plus rarer local varieties variously spelled as Grand Noir/Granegro and Rojal—farmed with old goblet-trained vines and replacements via massal selection. One merchant note reports the vineyards are “certified organic” (Petersham Cellar).
Winemaking details presented for the cuvée (not confirmed specifically for 2022) point to traditional, low-intervention methods: “indigenous yeasts in open-top oak vats,” followed by maturation “in barrels and foudres of different sizes for approximately 30 months,” according to Petersham Cellar.
While 2022 reviews were not available, earlier critical reception underscores the ceiling for this site and approach. The 2019 vintage drew exceptional scores, including a 100-point review from Jane Anson, alongside 99 points from James Suckling and 98 points from Decanter’s Georgina Hindle (all vintage-specific to 2019). Stylistically, 2019 was characterized as “more fragrant… more peppery and lifted” with “super refined tannins” and “a long, polished finish,” in Anson’s note—descriptors that help frame expectations for YJAR generally, even if 2022 will ultimately speak in its own register.
A final point of market context: YJAR has been positioned as a globally traded Rioja, including distribution via Place de Bordeaux, reinforcing its intent as a flagship, terroir-driven wine rather than a regional blend.
