El Coto Rioja Blanco is an award-winning white wine with a refreshing and zingy taste. You'll enjoy aromas of peaches, apples, citrus and tropical fruits, followed by a dry, fruity finish. Perfect for any special occasion, this light-medium white wine also pairs wonderfully with seafood and grilled fish, as well as a cheeseboard. Serve at 7-8ºC for optimal refreshment.

El Coto Rioja Blanco is also currently available by the glass in The Wine Press, Dundee's finest Wine Bar. 

About the Producer

El Coto was founded in 1970 in Rioja Alavesa and has grown from modest beginnings into one of the best known of Rioja producers. Its first bottling was released in 1975.

Today, El Coto has over 700 hectares of vineyard in production across the three Rioja DOCa sub-zones of Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa. El Coto is the leading quality brand in Rioja and among the top-selling Spanish wines in Europe.

El Coto is the largest vineyard owner in the Rioja region which provides a tremendous ability to control the quality of the grapes which go into their wines.  Most of the fruit used is sourced from their own sites.  Their outstanding Red wines  are made with grapes picked primarily in the heart of Rioja Alta at their own estate at Cenicero.  An increased focus on sustainability, in both the winery and the vineyard, includes the use of cover crops and preventative pest management.  They are not just stopping at sustainable agriculture either, currently El Coto are in the process of converting around 40 hectares of vineyards in Los Almendros.

White Rioja continues its rise in popularity and El Coto have invested in new sites to supply demand.  With pockets of the new property climbing 900 metres altitude, this is the highest vineyard in the region, and the elevation and aspect is ideal for the planted white varieties including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo.  El Coto Rioja Blanco contains a small proportion of Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo to back up the primary Viura.  The addition of these varieties adds freshness and aromatic intensity to the blend.  The El Coto ‘875m Finca Carbonera’ Chardonnay, tips the hat to the high-altitude Finca Carbonera vineyard where the grapes are grown.  For extra texture and flavour it is barrel-fermented and aged for three months in new French oak barrique.

Vineyard and Winery

The Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc grapes were sourced from El Coto's high-altitude Finca Carbonera vineyard. At over 840 metres above sea level, the grapes grown here benefit from warm days tempered by cool nights, allowing for an ideally paced slow ripening and resulting in grapes with the perfect balance between concentrated flavours and vibrant acidity. The Viura grapes were mainly sourced from prime vineyard sites in Rioja Alta with limestone and clay soils.

Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were chilled and then gently pressed in a pneumatic press. Fermentation lasted for around 12 to 20 days and took place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks at low temperatures of 14 to 18ºC, to preserve the bright varietal aromas and retain freshness. The wine did not go through malolactic fermentation or oak ageing, in order to preserve its bright fruit flavours and vibrancy.