The Land

CdVIN 2022 hails from La Pornadilla, a remote, high-elevation site perched at 900 meters above sea level in the Rioja Alavesa. The vineyard’s 95-year-old bush-trained vines cling to chalky soils, facing the cooling influence of the Sierra de Cantabria. This is one of the region’s most delicately expressive terroirs—where altitude, old vines, and fractured limestone converge to deliver wines of radiant clarity. In 2022, a warm and dry growing season might have spelled excess elsewhere, but the site’s elevation and lean soils gave this Garnacha-based wine its hallmark lift, finesse, and precision.

The Wine

Composed of 96% Garnacha and 4% Viura. The fruit was destemmed and fermented in stainless steel with about one week of maceration, followed by 12 months of aging in two neutral 500L French barrels. The result is a wine of expressive delicacy: nimble, racy red berries, cherries, and grapefruit interplay with hibiscus, wet stone, and a saline thread reminiscent of oyster shells. The palate is fluid yet defined—structure without weight—with fine, fresh tannins that caress rather than grip. A wine of finesse rather than force, CdVIN 2022 is as compelling now as it promises to be with age.

The People

Diego Magaña, one of the most compelling voices in Spain’s new wave of winemaking, is the son of Juan Magaña, whose Viña Magaña estate in Navarra helped shape the region’s modern identity. After early years working alongside his father, Diego began making his own wines in 2014 in Bierzo, inspired by his friendship with Raúl Pérez. Though his family had long held vines in Rioja Oriental, it was the high-altitude, limestone-rich soils of Rioja Alavesa that captivated him. In 2016, he launched ANZA with the acquisition of San Ginés—a project named in honor of his mother, Esperanza (“Hope”) Tejero. Today, he farms just 4.5 hectares across Laguardia, Elvillar, and Kripan, with old bushvines and meticulous vineyard work (including horse-plowing in the oldest plots). His winemaking is site-driven and low-intervention: indigenous yeast fermentations, open-top fermenters, gentle maceration, and aging in used barrels. Unbound by Rioja’s traditional classifications, his wines prioritize purity, energy, and drinkability—a quiet revolution built on respect for tradition and a clear-eyed view of the future.