Luberri, in Basque, means new land, or new clearing. It is the name with which the personal project of winemaker Florentino Martínez Monje and his wife María José García Amestoy was baptized. The Rioja-based Bodegas Luberri was born, according to Florentino, as “a life project with which we express our way of understanding wine, of living it, of enjoying it and making it enjoyable.” He adds that “we transmit something very simple and at the same time very profound: our own personality. And for this we have a base of indisputable quality, the native Tempranillo grape of our area, the Rioja Alavesa.” He, together with his wife, created the winery in 1991. For a few years they had already been buying some vineyard plots “here and there”, mostly in the municipality of Elciego (Álava).
Florentino Martínez Monje comes from a family of farmers from San Vicente de la Sonsierra who settled in Elciego when he was eight years old. Here, with his father and his brothers, they ran an agricultural and service business for many years. From taking care of the vineyards of others, he decided to take a step forward and build his own winery, in whose management he has the collaboration of his wife, his daughters Laura and Miren and his son-in-law, the winemaker. Carlos Yécora. The Mexican farmer and military man Emiliano Zapata already said that “the land will return to those who work it with their hands.”
Florentino considers himself a man passionate about the Rioja Alavesa and with a great determination to progress by uniting modernity and roots. He explains that “our whole life is here, in Luberri and its vineyards.” And he adds that “we like the countryside.” He clarifies that “I am not a winemaker, I am a farmer.” They consider that the vineyard is “origin and future, where everything begins.” They assure, at the same time, that “just as important as contact with the land is proximity to the consumer.” And they emphasize that honesty is his foundation, while pointing out that his character “is passionate and direct, idealistic and practical; capable of dreaming up great wines and uniting all the elements necessary to make them.” Theirs are “wines for pleasure and for understanding a country, an environment and a world.”
In Luberri they work about 60 hectares of vineyards, of which 46 are owned. They have Tempranillo vines, but also Malvasía Riojana and Viura. They produce around 450,000 bottles annually, of which they export 30%. The United States, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are its main international fiefdoms. 10% of their sales are made in Catalonia.
They have stood out with their red wines, and especially with their fruity and fragrant carbonic macerations, which they claim are “among the best in Spain.” But they have also entered the world of whites with two references. Their Las Salinas Zuri is especially unique. It is made with viura and a touch of 5% Malvasía Rioja, fruit of an old glass vineyard planted 92 years ago in clayey-calcareous soils. The vineyard is known as Carravalseca-Las Salinas.
The harvest is manual, carried out in small trailers of 1,500 kilos. The grapes, after being destemmed, are cold macerated to preserve the aromatic precursors. And a gentle extraction of the flower must is carried out. It ferments for 45 days in 225-liter French oak barrels. Of the last vintage on the market, 2022, about 2,500 bottles have been produced.
They say in Luberri that the 2021-22 campaign “does not resemble any that can be remembered.” The rains after the 2021 harvest allowed water reserves to be accumulated for what would be a hot campaign until mid-January 2022. The month of December and until mid-January turned out to be a hot period, but with precipitation and some frosty nights. However, starting in mid-January, along with generally rainy February, they became the driest in recent years. March was rainy, but not enough to compensate for the deficit of recent months. The winter balance was considered warm during the day.
The rains arrived with spring, along with cold temperatures that were not present in winter. Hot days arrived along with drastic drops in temperature, but without reaching dangerous records. The frosts of early April and low temperatures slowed the development of the vine shoots, but from mid-May onwards unusually high temperatures were reached. In August the heat returned, coinciding with veraison. In September, the vines were in good condition and in excellent health. The harvesting of the berries was carried out calmly and selectively. The rains of August and September were saviors in a dry vintage. Production was moderate in volume, but excellent in quality.
The winery states that “the desire to encourage the ancestral culture of white wine in our region is expressed in this radiant and vital wine.” They add that Las Salinas Zuri “shows a kind and determined spirit, which envelops, seduces and elevates.” Pale straw yellow in color, clear and bright. It exhibits white flower and fruit framed with Mediterranean notes such as fennel. It stands out for its vibrant acidity and, especially, for the marked salinity that gives it its name. In fact, the vineyard is surrounded by a natural saline lagoon. It is tasty, makes you salivate and offers great tension. Elegant and fine, with little volume and only 12.5º alcohol.
Florentino likes to enjoy his wine with some lamb chops with vine shoots or with fish and seafood. It is also ideal with poultry cannelloni with foie, with a risotto with mushrooms, with a not very spicy meat tartare, with Iberian secret or with cheeses and cured sausages. It is recommended to serve at a temperature of about 14º C.
