Gabriel´s
dream
Gabriel Pérez can most certainly be considered a wine visionary amongst his peers.
In 2011 he began to sketch out the details of his lifelong dream. This dream consisted both of building a new winery located within the historical “Barrio de Bodegas” of Quel, as well as creating an exceptional wine originating in two unique high-altitude vineyards. In his dream, the winery was to be called “Queirón”.
His home village of Quel is situated at the furthest Eastern edge of the DOCa of Rioja, within the limits of the sub-appellation of “Rioja Oriental”. It was thirty years ago that he took over the immense responsibility of the family’s heritage and established his first winery. The first wine of Queirón is a tribute to his dream.
Pioneer
Heralded as the first wine of the new winery, the “Vino primordial”, the Reserva is the essence of Queirón. It is the realization of a dream and reflects the identity of a terroir worked by the hands of Gabriel and his family. It represents the reward for an endeavor that has come to light after more than a decade in the making. Born with the purpose of being a prestigious wine, made only in extraordinary vintages, the wine itself is a dream.
Two high-altitude
vineyards
La Pasada
Is a vineyard located in the most rugged area of the Sierra de Yerga range, where over thirty years ago Gabriel Pérez decided to plant Tempranillo due to the vineyard’s elevation as well as it positioning at the confluence of the three climates that define this part of the wine region of Rioja. These three climate influences are the Atlantic influence from the Sierra de Cantabria mountains; the Continental influence which originates from the foothills of the Sierra de la Demanda and the warm Mediterranean sun influence that pours over the Ebro valley. La Pasada is a vineyard identified by three distinct climactic influences that together express the philosophy of Queirón, by its very nature.
Its steep slopes both facilitate a constant flow of air that passes through the vineyard and helps to prevent disease, as well as provides significant diurnal shifts in temperature throughout the Summer season. This allows the wines to achieve velvety tannins and an otherwise perfect balance in the grape ripening process. The soil is poor, with alternate layers of light sand, sandstone and large rocks, followed by layers of old clay and more sandstone.
El Pozo
Planted in 2010, is located just below La Pasada at 650 metres, between the sites of La Rad and Hoyo Judío. It contains a large number of micro plots from which only the most privileged grapes are selected. The soil here is quite poor, mainly sand, with some clay as well as riverstone, typical of Quel. The Graciano variety is one of the more rare grape varieties in Rioja, however it seems to flourish in this location.
The vines that make up the 2011 Queirón Reserva are found in two iconic vineyards in Quel owned by the Pérez Cuevas family. These two vineyards are perched on the slopes of the Yerga Mountains and the Peña Isasa, both of which reach the elevation limit for cultivation at 790 meters. La Pasada provides the Tempranillo and El Pozo provides the Graciano. These two varieties comprise the blend that gives the wine its identity and soul.
vintage
Technical data
Pure
Rioja
Vintage 2011
Harvest
Oenology
70% French oak and 30% American oak, with different levels of toast which we believe add complexity to the wine. Subsequently, Queirón Reserva remains in the bottle for more than 36 months at the natural temperature and humidity of the winery’s underground cellar.
Carlos
Echapresto
Sommelier de Venta Moncalvillo.
Daroca La Rioja
(one Michelin star)
National Gastronomy Award for Best Sommelier.
Intoxicating
aroma
Mi Lugar
2019
The allegory of Quel
Mi Lugar Tempranillo Blanco
2021
inspiration
El Arca
2020
An ancestral journey
Ensayos Capitales
2018
Challenging the limits
Ensayos Capitales Nº3
2020
Asoleao