Carlos mazo
VINOS EN VOS BAJA
Aldeanueva de Ebro -
Rioja Oriental
“This is another inspiring venture – so much so that Carlos is my young winemaker of the year – working with ten parcels spread over just six hectares in Aldeanueva, Alfaro, Autol, Calahorra, and Rincón de Soto. He started out in a garage in 2012 and has been in his own, very stylish boutique winery since 2020. The focus here is on old vine Garnacha (plus a bit of Calagraño and Tinto Velasco) of remarkable finesse and elegance.”
Carlos Mazo is the new name to watch for Garnacha wines of place and terroir in Rioja – one of the world’s great wine regions. Following in the footsteps of quality pioneer Alvaro Palacios, Carlos is from Rioja’s far eastern edge, now named Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja, a name change fostered by Alvaro himself to further define this very different face of Rioja). Rioja Oriental’s historic viticultural focus was Garnacha, not the Tempranillo of Rioja Alta and Alavesa. Regrettably, Tempranillo was introduced to the eastern end of the valley to be farmed industrially, supplying Rioja’s biggest producers following the international success of the grape in the 80s and 90s – damaging the region’s reputation.
Vinos en Voz Baja (whispering wines) is a tiny project in Aldeanueva de Ebro neighbouring Alfaro at the eastern boundary of Rioja. Winemaker Carlos Mazo is one of a generation of young, thoughtful producers further driving change towards authenticity and vineyard/terroir specificity. His family cultivates local varieties Garnacha (red, white and grey), Tinta Velasco, a little Tempranillo left by his grandfather, Viura and Pasera across six hectares of eight plots. Work is manual and ecological, without herbicides or pesticides, just as their ancestors did. Fermentations are spontaneous and carried out parcel by parcel. Grapes are foot stomped in small plastic vessels, concrete or open barrels and ageing takes place mainly in used oak, foudre and concrete. These exceptional wines are achieved without oenological additives and only a minimal dose of sulphur at bottling. MW Tim Atkin anointed Carlos as Rioja Young Winemaker of the Year in 2023, impressed by his elegant, beautifully honest and vibrant wines.
“...new to me was Carlos Mazo's Vinos en Voz Baja in the Rioja Oriental village of Aldeanueva. This is another inspiring venture – so much so that Carlos is my young winemaker of the year – working with ten parcels spread over just six hectares in Aldeanueva, Alfaro, Autol, Calahorra and Rincón de Soto. He started out in a garage in 2012 and has been in his own, very stylish boutique winery since 2020. The focus here is on old vine Garnacha (plus a bit of Calagraño/Pasera and Tinta Velasco/Graciano de Alfaro) of remarkable finesse and elegance. “I'm trying to change perceptions of the Rioja Oriental,” he told me. “I want to talk about these different villages and explain why they are different.” - Tim Atkin MW, Rioja 2023 Special Report.
THE WINES
Vinos en Voz Baja Rioja Blanco ‘Costumbres’(Viura, Garnacha Roya/Gris, Pasera)
40% Viura, 20% Garnacha Gris, 10% Tempranillo Blanco and 30% of the almost disappeared native variety, Calagraño (or Pasera locally). Direct pressed to stainless steel where spontaneous ferment begins. The wine is moved to 300 litre used French oak barrels to finish fermenting where it also ages for 8 months.
Vineyards: Planas Altas (1980), Cantarral (1995), Salobral (1997), Retrespesa (2016).
“...Juniper and wild herb aromas segue into a palate that’s leesy, textured and unfiltered, with lots of brisk acidity and wax, pear and citrus flavours.” (2021) 92 points - Tim Atkin MW, Rioja 2022 Special Report.
“The wine version of Costumbres is a co-fermentation of Viura, 30% Pasera and 20% Garnacha Roya from vineyards in Aldeanueva, Alfaro, Autol and Rincón de Soto. Leesy, elegant, waxy and textured, it's a low intervention style with very little added sulfites, waft of tarragon and aniseed and bright pear and citrus fruit.” (2022) 93 points - Tim Atkin MW, Rioja 2024 Special Report.
Vinos en Voz Baja Rioja Tinto ‘Costumbres’ (Garnacha, Pasera, Tempranillo, Tinta Velasco) 1.5L Magnums Available
80% Garnacha with 10% Tinto Velasco and 10% Tempranillo. The vines are scattered across three hectares all planted with a south eastern exposition. In the winery, the fruit is whole bunch crushed by foot in wooden and concrete vats and fermentation is spontaneous without temperature control. Maceration runs between 5 - 14 days and ageing is in used oak barrels and concrete for 12 months.
Vineyards: Planas Altas (1980), Cantarral (1995), Butrago (1982), Salobral (1997).
“Carlos Mazo's bush-vine Garnacha delivers a generous, vivid wine, with brisk bramble and blueberry aromas and an elegant, finely textured palate. These are Mediterranean influenced vines, to be sure. As the label says, these are small production wines, so don't delay in snapping up this great-value Rioja.” (2020) 93 points - Sarah Jane Evans MW, Decanter Rioja's next generation: The talented winemakers to look out for.
“Combining grapes from Autol, Alfaro, Aldeanueva and Rincón de Soto, Costumbres is a regional expression of the Rioja Oriental. Garnacha based with 5% Calagrañ0 (Pasera), Tempranillo and Tinta Velasco, it’s a very lightly wooded red with 100% whole bunch spices, subtle grip and layers of bramble, raspberry and red cherry fruit.” (2021) 92 points - Tim Atkin MW, Rioja 2024 Special Report.
Costumbres Tinto is layered, freshly fruited and perfumed showing the wonderful quality of Carlos’ vines and vineyards. Seamless and fluid in texture, the fruit weight is backed by buoyant acidity offering a bright, balanced finish. There is barely a hint of oak, allowing the elements of dried flowers, licorice and finer herbal details to shine through. New wave beauty indeed.
Vinos en Voz Baja Village Rioja Tinto ‘Barrio Pastores’
100% Garnacha from less than a hectare of vines across two parcels in Aldeanueva de Ebro; Mazaterón (1989) and Montote (1989). The fruit is whole bunch crushed by foot in a wooden foudre and fermentation is spontaneous without temperature control. Maceration runs for 12 days and ageing is in large oak foudre for 10 months.
Vineyards: Mazaterón (1989), Montote (1989).
"There is a new and impressive red 2020 Barrio Pastores, a village wine produced with old Garnacha grafted on Rupestris du Lot roots. It is perfumed and floral with moderate alcohol (13.8%) and with a medium-bodied palate with very fine tannins and a dry, austere finish. It has impressive freshness and a pH of 3.2 with 6.5 grams of acidity. The production tried to replicate the wines from yesteryear, and they achieved a clean, fine, soft, perfumed and happy red through foot-trodden grapes and maturing in large oak vats for 10 months. Superb debut. 2,000 bottles were filled in August 2021.” 93 points. - Luis Gutierrez, Robert Parker
"Barrio Pastores - the shepherd's quarter in Spanish - comes from two vineyards in the lower part of Aldeanueva close to the river. Entirely aged in foudres, it's a detailed, elegant, foot-trodden Rioja Oriental red with aromas of violet, fennel and white pepper, caressing tannins and a core of pomegranate and wild strawberry fruit." (2022) 95 points - Tim Atkin MW, Rioja 2023 Special Report. *Selected as one of the finest Rioja wines of the year.
Vinos en Voz Baja Single Site Rioja Tinto ‘Erosivo’
This is an extremely rare and special wine, unique in its grape variety make-up and representation of place.
70% Tinta Velasco, 20% Pasera, 10% Garnacha planted between 1950 and 1954 in a 0.56 hectare plot overlooking the Sierra de los Agudos. The fruit is whole bunch crushed by foot in little oak barrels and fermentation is spontaneous without temperature control. Aged 12 months in old 225 litre French oak and concrete.
Vineyards: Yasa de Las Cuevas (1950) & (1954).
“...The top wine from Carlos Mazo’s impressive new venture in the Rioja Oriental hails from a 0.56 hectare field blend of mostly Graciano de Alfaro with Garnacha and Pasera planted in the early 1950s. Scented, detailed and elegant, with fine tannins, a hint of good reduction, plum and wild strawberry fruit and barely a whisper of oak.” (2020) 94 points - Tim Atkin MW, Rioja 2023 Special Report.
Vinos en Voz Baja Single Site Rioja Tinto ‘Nace La Sierra’
From 2022, the wine from Carlos’ single site, mountain vineyard, ‘Yasa de Las Cuevas’, changed to ‘Nace La Sierra’ (The Mountain is Born). This change reflects a conceptual shift as Carlos removes old, unproductive vines and increases plantings, adding close planted, massale selected Garnacha. This is one of the only vineyards over looking the stunning Sierra de los Agudos, a wild area with no other agriculture and perfect, fresh growing conditions. This site will become one of Rioja’s most important Garnacha vineyards, yielding a wine that is at the frontier of Rioja Oriental’s terroir identity.
Yasa de Las Cuevas: the single site of Sierra de Los Agudos.
Planted densely with 4000 unirrigated plants per hectare and 2.2m rows. It has sandy clay soils that are red from high iron content (the sign of the best sites in Rioja Oriental) with lots of limestone and very little organic material – There is just 30-50cm to the friable mother rock. Low goblet pruning is the best solution in this arid environment as it shortens the distance for nutrients and water to travel, thus saving the vine energy (in stark contrast to other growers who guyot train for volume and require irrigation).
The fruit is whole bunch crushed by foot in little barrels and tubs. Fermentation is spontaneous without temperature control. The wine ages 12 months in foudre and passes in concrete (this depends on the year and quantities).
Cepage and vineyard transition:
2022: 50% Garnacha first year of production (0.5 ha), 30% Tinta Velasco planted in 1954 (0.40 ha), 20% Pasera (white) planted in 1950 (0.17 ha).
2023: 70% Garnacha second year of production (0.5 ha), 15% Tinta Velasco planted in 1954 (0.40 ha), 15% Pasera (white) planted in 1950 (0.17 ha).
2024: 85% Garnacha third year of production (0.5 ha), 5% Tinta Velasco planted in 1954 (0,40 ha), 10% Pasera (white) planted in 1950 (0.17 ha).
2025: It will be more or less 80% Garnacha planted in 2020, 5% Viura planted in 2020 (0.5 ha), and 15% Garnacha planted in 2023 (0.40 ha).
In 2025 the second part of the vineyard that used to contain the old vines will be replanted to Garnacha 70-80%, Pasera 10-15% and Tinta Velasco 5-10%.
2027 onwards: Nace La Sierra will arrive to a total of 1.43 ha, made up of 90% Garnacha, 3-4% Tinta Velasco and 5-7% white grapes Pasera & Viura.
“Formerly labeled as Erosivo, Nace La Sierra is one of the most exciting wines from the Rioja Oriental and a shining example of what the sub-region can produce in the right hands. A field blend of Garnacha, Tinta Velsaco and Pasera from a 0.56 hectare plot in Calahorra called Paraje Yasa de Las Cuevas, this has garrigue and mountain herb aromas, wonderful energy and vibrancy, a hint of oak from new Italian foudres, and a racy, ethereal, beautifully balanced finish.” (2022) 97 points - Tim Atkin MW, Rioja 2024 Special Report. *Selected as one of the finest Rioja wines of the year.
