'Koden' is a medium-bodied style of Rioja with a slightly shorter period of ageing in new oak. The aim is to produce a high-end wine that can be drunk any night of the week (or lunchtime, if the mood takes you!) The vines are slightly younger but are still 100% Tempranillo. On the nose, there are aromas of raspberries, black cherries and violets with undertones of toasty oak and vanilla. On the palate, it has a concentrated structure and flavour with ripe, silky tannins - a really lovely soft texture. Rioja can often be overblown or too oaky, but this manages to be rich and dense but elegant and gentle at the same time – bravo. Perfect with a lamb, beef or just a few slices of Chorizo & a wedge of Manchego.

When it comes to the wineries of Rioja, Spain, we usually know exactly what to expect: fine old Spanish winemaking families, running ancestral wineries which have been churning out the good stuff for generations. It’s equally refreshing and exciting, therefore, to discover a Rioja winemaker who bucks this trend, and yet makes no compromise whatsoever in the flavour, character, and prestige of the wines coming out of the cellar door. Bodega Luis Alegre may have been around for some time under various guises and under the watchful eye of various serious Rioja vintners. However, it is currently run by Alejandro Simo Gomez, a man whose background and professional life has undoubtedly given a contemporary and holistic spin to this operation. Alejandro was formerly an artisanal cooper, making wine barrels for wineries in Spain and Portugal, before becoming the head chef at Bodega Luis Alegre. His obsession with food, flavour, and quality local ingredients put him in perfect stead to become a winemaker of real distinction and vision, and alongside his partner Marta, that’s exactly what he became. With the winning combination of incredible vineyards, ancestral vines, and two vintners standing with one foot in the traditions of the region and the other firmly pacing into the future, Bodega Luis Alegre is taking Rioja wine to exciting new heights of excellence. Thanks to the ambition and clear sense of where they are heading with their Rioja Alavesa wines, Alejandro and Marta have managed to inject a sense of freshness, contemporary craftsmanship, and flavour-driven approaches to their winery… and we couldn’t be happier that they did so. 'Koden' is a medium-bodied style of Rioja with a slightly shorter period of ageing in new oak. The aim is to produce a high-end wine that can be drunk any night of the week (or lunchtime, if the mood takes you!) The vines are slightly younger but are still 100% Tempranillo. On the nose, there are aromas of raspberries, black cherries and violets with undertones of toasty oak and vanilla. On the palate, it has a concentrated structure and flavour with ripe, silky tannins - a really lovely soft texture. Rioja can often be overblown or too oaky, but this manages to be rich and dense but elegant and gentle at the same time – bravo. Perfect with a lamb, beef or just a few slices of Chorizo & a wedge of Manchego.