Telmo Rodriguez is one of Spain's pioneer winemakers, advocating native grape varietals tied to the climates and conditions of their sites, and making world-class wines from undiscovered as well as known regions. Perhaps most impressive, while Telmo Rodriguez makes rare and limited wines of astonishing character and quality, his everyday wines have been equally praised, and widely recognized for the tremendous value they offer.
The Rioja vineyards for Telmo Rodriguez' wines are in the eastern part of the region, in Lanciego. It is here, on the clay and calcerous slopes, that some of the most interesting vineyards of Rioja coexist with hundred year old olive groves. Descendents of the same families that pruned these vines over two centuries still work in the bush vine vineyards, using the same methods of cultivation. Telmo's wines come from a combination of estate vineyards (and in the case of Altos de Lanzaga, exclusively estate vineyards), and those of growers in the area who cultivate under Telmo's supervision.
With LZ, the quality of the Telmo Rodriguez Rioja vineyards shines through the wine's fresh fruit expression. The Tempranillo for LZ comes from different vineyard parcels and is always harvested earlier than Lanzaga or Altos de Lanzaga. The wine then undergoes a moderate maceration and a tank fermentation that allows the elaboration of its young fruit, mineral and spice character.