The 2009 Graciano Grano a Grano comes from Mendoza’s vineyard in Sonsierra intermixed with other varieties. It is aged in French oak for 18 months, but that is barely noticeable on the nose, which offers succulent dark cherry, blueberry, cooked meat and a dash of black pepper. The palate is very smooth on the entry, with saturated, very fine tannins and a caressing, satin-textured finish of dark plum, creme de cassis and blueberry. This is an alluring Graciano. Drink now-2016. Any self-respecting wine writer should have their senses open 24/7. A great wine or great producer can appear at any moment. It was on my first night in Rioja that I randomly selected a bottle of “5V” from a restaurant list in Logrono and found it utterly delicious. Upon realizing that Abel Mendoza’s wines had not been included in my tastings, I asked if his wines could be winged over. It was a few days before I got round to it, and in the meantime, “Abel Mendoza” seemed to be the winemaker on everyone’s lips when I posed the question: “Who is pushing the Riojan envelope?” This husband and wife team, Maite the oenologist and Abel the vine grower, create white wines that set the pulse racing. They are individualistic wines that pay scant regard to the Reserva system, showcasing classic white varieties such as Malvasia, Viura and Garnacha Blanca, plus those on the cusp of extinction such as Tempranillo Blanco and Turruntes that all undergo virtually identical vinification that employs a prudent five months of new oak. These are dazzling expressions of grape variety and terroir, profound wines that seem a million miles away from the anodyne Viuras that flourish. For me, their whites are so good that they unfairly over-shadowed their reds, which are still well-crafted but not quite as riveting. Maite and Abel’s wines are very special, suffused with personality and intellect, and were some of the most exciting that I met in Rioja. Importer: Jose Pastor Selections, www.josepastorselections.com