The 2011 Baigorri Rose is an equal blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha, the latter from a special 100-hectare plot of 55-year-old Garnacha at 700 meters altitude with the Tempranillo sourced from vines around the winery. It has a typical pale ruby color, and the nose offers light cherry fruit with crushed strawberry. The palate is crisp and fruit-driven on the entry and displays good acidity, exhibiting fine weight towards the tart cherry finish. My only quibble is that there is a touch of alcohol at the back of the throat. Drink now. If Lopez de Heredia, steeped in history, cobwebs and black mold, lies at one end of the spectrum, the Bodegas Baigorri lies at the other. They represent the two sides of traditional and modern Rioja in 2012. Fortunately, they both make rather good wines. Although you cannot taste architecture, the multi-million euro winery of Baigorri cannot pass without mention, carved deep into the rocky hillside with panoramic views across Rioja Alavesa and its magnificent giant steps leading from its Zen-like glass entrance. However, it is first and foremost a functional design, its seven tiers over 24 meters allowing unimpeded winemaking by gravity. Indeed, that is just one facet of winemaking here, where clearly no expense is spared. Baigorri makes most Bordeaux chateaux look like run-down shacks and the winemaking is finely tuned. And I must confess that I feared this would be a vanity project, cosmetic winemaking with plenty of money but negligible soul. I found this not to be the case. While the winemaking is analyzed down to every last detail and the wines are comparatively expensive, there is patently a passionate winemaking at its concrete heart and the wines are delicious. Here, approximately 25% of the vinified crop is out-sourced under long-term contracts, with the vinification under the control of the winery. Importer: The Artisan Wine Company (US) and OW Loeb and Moreno Wines (UK)