Castillo de Mendoza Noralba Crianza 2019

The Sommelier Pick for April 2025 is Castillo de Mendoza Noralba Crianza 2019.

Spain is one of my favourite places to travel and our newest winery direct purchase is from Castillo de Mendoza in Rioja Spain. It is a family with over 100 years of winemaking tradition whose philosophy is "Respect for the land that has seen us grow and will be the future of our children." Hence one of the wine creations is Noralba, a word that mixes the names of Eloy Antonio Mendoza’s granddaughters, Nora and Alba.

Eloy’s ancestors made wine for their own consumption in a traditional cave within the village walls, but in 1994 Mendoza decided to restore an 18th century distillery and turn it into a winery. In 2001, space restrictions meant that they moved to their current location, a newly built winery whose cellar has been excavated in the rock, as it is traditional in the area.

The day to day at the winery is in the hands of women. Carolina Mendoza, the owner’s daughter, manages the place while Marta Besga is the winemaker and her sister María takes care of PR and visits. They make around 120,000 bottles and seven wines. 

Noralba Crianza is a blend of Tempranillo (80%) and Graciano (20%) and has vibrant cherry red colour with ruby shades. It has very aromatic nose with black and red fruits -blackberries and raspberries to be specific - and hints of wild herbs such as fennel and thyme.

These are integrated with the toasty and spicy aromas of aging in a new barrel. Powerful and unctuous in the mouth with good balance of acidity and ripe tannins this wine is a great everyday sipper.  Terrific with a spicy pizza, pasta in a tomato sauce or while watching your favourite hockey team play. Salut!