Roda

Address: Avda Viscaya 5, 2600 Haro, La Rioja
Phone: +34 941 303 001
rodarioja@roda.es www.roda.es

This is another winery we had the opportunity to visit on our trip, where we learned that the etymology of Roda stems from the first two letters of the founder’s surnames, Mario Rottllan and his wife, Carmen Daurella; who under the guidance of a team of technicians, bought 17 meticulously researched plots to produce wines that express very essence of their terroir, the vineyard, soil, climate and landscape.

Founded in 1987, Roda prides itself on its 550 Tempranillo clones, in addition to to 14% of the vines dedicated to Graciano, and the rest to Garnacha. Having seen the vast stretches of land dedicated to the various Tempranillo clones, I can tell you firsthand how impressed I was with their vision to truly exploit the essence of this grape. Where did this fantastic idea start? It began in 1990, when Roda saw the gradual disappearance of ancient Tempranillo bio-types in lieu of clonal variations. Consequently, they decided to use the vast amount of old vine Tempranillo with a wide genetic variability to select for 550 different bio-types of Tempranillo in its natural habitat. Impressive, no? The end result has been the creation of a seedbank for grafting on to 12,000 plants!

In addition to this incredible project, Roda prides themselves on their dedication to sustainability. From October to about April, they allow grass to cover, insulate and maintain the ingenious flora. Additionally, they try to minimize fertilization, of which the majority comes from natural manure. Fungal sprays come from sulphur and copper, rather than synthetic chemical sprays, so as to avoid further damage to the delicate ecosystem. And finally, they have tried to plant their vineyards with adequate sun and wind, not only for the benefit of maturing the grape, but also so avoid bacterias like botrytis, which dislike well ventilated areas.

“We have an obligation to our children to leave our vineyards better than we received them!”

Only vines aged over 30 years may be used in Roda’s vine. Approximately 85 hectares belong to the winery itself, while 160 additional hectares are contracted out. The winery itself is managed by Agustin Santolaya, with Carlos Diez de la Concepcion overseeing all aspects of winemaking. Currently, Roda is producing 2,000 barrels a year, aged in French oak. 50% of that total is then exported to countries such as the UK, Germany and Austria.

Roda’s Philosophy:

1. Only the indigenous red grape varieties, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano were used.
2. Only wines made at our winery are bottled, we never buy-in wine from other cellars.
3. Only wines that bring out the very essence of their terroir, the vineyard, soil, climate, landscape, will be released.

Wines Produced: Roda, Roda I, Roda II, Cirsion

This entry was posted on Friday, March 21st, 2008 at 1:50 pm and is filed under Bodega Profile.