The Heights of fine Rioja
Altos R Pigeage, Rioja
6 bottles – $239.94 $161.94 ($26.99 per bottle)
Altos de Rioja is a jewel in Spain’s Rioja district, founded by native Frenchman (and Château Haut-Brion trained winemaker) Jean-Marc Sauboua. It’s the highest-altitude cellar in the region, with an impressively tall stack of acclaim.Since releasing its first wine in 2006, Altos has won more than 600 awards—including the IWSC’s Spanish Winery of the Year.
Over 100 of these accolades have been awarded to its flagship red, Altos R Pigeage—and our Vineyard Partners have exclusive access.
Carefully crafted by talented young winemaker Amaia Amestoy, Pigeage uses the finest, high-altitude Tempranillo grapes, with a 10% touch of fragrant Graciano—all from rare, low-yielding 80-year-old vines.
Pigeage, pronounced “peej-AHJE,” takes its name from the Burgundian winemaking technique of “punching down” grape
skins that rise to the top of a fermenting batch of wine. This draws out flavor and color from the skins, making the wine
more robust and complex.
Altos R Pigeage truly offers a “Grand Cru” experience and is unlike anything else you’ll taste from Rioja. But thanks to our longstanding friendship with the Altos team, you won’t have to pay a “Grand Cru” price to enjoy it. Keep reading to learn more about becoming a Vineyard Partner of this one-of-a-kind bodega.
Made at the “Bodega in the clouds”
Situated among the Sierra Cantabria Mountains, Altos de Rioja is surrounded by the highest vineyards in Rioja. The vines perch between 1,900 to 2,200 feet in altitude—hence why the team loving calls Altos the “Bodega in the Clouds.”
Way up here, the days are hot and sunny, while temperatures drop by as much as 68 degrees between day and night. That’s the secret to bringing out freshness and vivid aromas…attributes that are prized in the finest Rioja.
Of course, it helps to have an incredible winemaking team, too.
Jean-Marc, our longtime friend and renowned winemaker, founded Altos with a singular goal. As a Bordeaux native with a Spanish mother, he desired to craft luxe Rioja using the Grand Cru Classé
methods he learned while training at Château Haut-Brion (one of Bordeaux’s prestigious First Growth estates). Or, as he says, “fine Rioja with a French passport.”
A few years back, Jean-Marc brought on Amaia to lead in the cellar and, under her watch, quality has continued to climb. Amaia and team root their winemaking in the great traditions of the past but use state-of-the-art techniques. That way, they can take full advantage of the grapes in their remarkable vineyards to craft exquisite wines like Altos R Pigeage.
As a Vineyard Partner, you will...
ENJOY RARE ACCESS
Receive guaranteed allocations of exceptional wine—always at the best possible price. Help a vineyard thrive, and in some cases, survive.
CHAMPION TRUE TALENTS
Knowing that they have dedicated supporters allows more precious time to be spent on winemaking (less on sales and marketing).
UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE PERKS
Guaranteed savings, Vineyard updates, VIP experiences at the winery with advance notice, Early access to events & more
become a partner today
Order a 6-bottle case for your first shipment and save $78. Then, each following year in January, you’ll receive 6 bottles of the new vintage for $161.94. You’re free to cancel any time.
