Profile of Amaren
The concept of Bodegas Amaren is in honor of the wife of Luis Cañas and mother of Juan Luis, from Bodegas Luis Cañas. In 1995, Juan Luis Cañas explored the possibilities of making a new style of wine, contrasting with his traditional estate, a wine that would express to the maximum the personality of Tempranillo, particularly from various parcels of old vines. Unfortunately, his mother, Angeles, passed away at this time, so he dedicated his new creation to his late mother, Amaren Reserva Tempranillo 1995. And from here, the name Amaren came about, meaning “from the mother” in Euskadi. Juan Luis’s tribute to his mother continued with the creation of the winery, and in 2016 Bodegas Amaren was completed and located in Samaniego, Rioja Alavesa, with 65 hectares of old vines aged between 35 and 110 years old. The location, vines, terroir, microclimate, and vinification processes all play a key role in the craftsmanship of these select wines.
They proudly apply “rational viticulture,” a mix of organic and sustainable, with the utmost care to treat the land as naturally as possible. Healthy vines produce healthy wines without a doubt. Further linking the story back to his mother, Juan Luis chooses to use concrete vats (typically used in Angeles days), protecting the wines from thermic variations and encouraging maximum fruit extraction.
Another glistening jewel in the Amaren crown is the presence of old Viura and Malvasia within the red varietal plots. From these, Juan Luis produces Amaren Barrel Fermented White, perfectly structured with excellent aromatic potential – a truly great white wine. Amaren is an idyllic mix of history and traditional methods complemented with modern technological improvements, producing magnificent fine wines in the utterly beautiful village of Samaniego. On our private VIP La Rioja tours, you can taste the individual varieties straight from the barrel, prepare the blend, and then compare how they fair from bottle aging. Amaren is new on the Rioja Alavesa map, but it is certainly one to be watched.
Wines produced
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Amaren Barrel Fermented
85% Viura, 15% Malvasia. Fermented in new French oak barrels. Aged for 8 months. Limited production from vines within the red varieties, from parcels of high altitude and poor soils.
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Amaren Tempranillo & Garnacha Crianza
85% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha. Fermented in oak vats. Aged for 12 months in 50% new American oak and 50% second year French oak barrels. From vines of an average age of 35 years. The touch of Garnacha adds freshness and red fruits to the elegance and characteristic Tempranillo.
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Angeles de Amaren
85% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano. Both varieties go through malo-lactic fermentation in new French and American Oak barrels. Aged for 16 months in 50% French and 50% American oak. Produced from vines that represent the essence of the area; rich fruit from the Tempranillo and the complex character of Graciano.
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Amaren Tempranillo Reserva 60
100% Tempranillo. From vines over 60 years old. Malo-lactic fermentation in new French oak barrels. Aged for 18 months in new French Oak. Elegant and complex with rich dark fruits.
Winery details
- Appellation
- La Rioja
- Founded
- 2009
- Area under vine
- 65 Hectares
- Oak barrel origin
- French and American
- Winemaker
- Fidel Fernández and Juan Luis Cañas
- Owner
- Bodegas Luis Cañas
- Production
- 200,000 bottles
- Grape varietals
- Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha, Viura, Malvasia