Viñas Jóvenes

Founded in 1994 in Briones, Rioja Alta, Miguel Merino is an independent, family-run winery now led by second-generation Miguel Merino Jr. and Érika Merino. The estate farms around 13 hectares across numerous small plots, with soils ranging from sand and gravel to limestone, clay and pebble-rich terraces, and vines dating from 2001 back to the late 19th century. Viticulture is sustainable and organic in practice, without herbicides or pesticides; vineyard work is done by hand, with many old plots worked by horses. Grapes are hand-harvested into small crates, rapidly transported and carefully sorted at the winery. The wines prioritize elegance over power and reflect a low-intervention, hands-on approach rooted in traditional Rioja practices.