93+ points - "The white 2022 Horizonte de Exopto Blanco was produced with the grapes from the white varieties that are planted scattered among the reds in the old vineyards on the poorer soils, mostly Viura with some 10% Garnacha Blanca and 5% Malvasía Riojana. It has 13% alcohol and very good freshness and acidity for such a warm year. The wine is expressive, harmonious, clean and quite fruit-driven and refreshing. It's balanced and super tasty, finishing with a salty twist. It's approachable but should last in bottle." - Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)

93 points - "As a member of the Rioja'n'Roll producer collective, Exopto embodies innovative ideas in Rioja winemaking. The 2022 Blanco Horizonte de Exopto is a prime example of this innovation. This blend consists of 85% Viura, 10% Malvasia and 5% Garnacha Blanca, sourced from San Vicente, Ábalos and Baños de Ebro in Rioja Alta and Alavesa. Aged for ten months, including time in foudres (50%), French oak barrels (30%) and concrete egg-shaped vats, the resulting wine displays a yellow hue in the glass. It offers enticing aromas of honey and pineapple, with hints of fennel, cedar and caramel. On the palate, it presents a dry and creamy profile, with an oily and vibrant texture that lingers with prominent wood notes. This wine beautifully combines the new terroir-driven approach with well-calibrated aging techniques, showcasing the best of both worlds." - Joaquín Hidalgo (Vinous)

92 points - "Tom Puyaubert has always had a sensitive touch with his whites, exemplified by the quality of this medley of Viura, 10% Malvasía and 5% Garnacha Blanca. Focused, nuanced and well balanced, it has subtle wood spices, notes of aniseed, lanolin and citrus and a hint of cream." - Tim Atkin MW (Rioja Report 2024)

Importer Notes:

This exceptional, rocky white Rioja goes from strength to strength. Today the blend comprises 85% Viura with 10% Malvasía Riojana and 5% Garnacha Blanca. The grapes are drawn mostly from the cool, high country of Ábalos, including the old-vine vineyards of San Cristobel (650 metres) and Perquita, planted in 1965. From 2022, the wine now benefits from a portion of 75-year-old Viura from Baños de Ebro. Fermented wild in concrete, the wine was then raised in a mixture of eggs, old barrels and 4,000-litre foudre as Puyaubert seeks to harness the mineral salinity and tension gifted by the rocky limestone soils and old vines in his highland vineyards. As always, it’s a shining example of new-wave Rioja Blanco.