Exopto = Tom Puyaubert
When thinking of Rioja, Bordeaux isn’t usually the first connection you make. In the case of EXOPTO you can’t separate the two and that is down to one fact; Tom Puyaubert…
Tom is an enigma when it comes to wine makers in Rioja. In 2000 this Frenchman moved from Bordeaux to Rioja. Initially, his focus wasn’t on wine but barrels. Working for Saury (a top barrel producer from Bordeaux), he was exposed to the highest levels of wine from the region and he fell in love. With a background making wine in both France and USA particularly focused on working in smaller wineries rather than working on a commercial scale.
In a region known for traditional wine making Exopto is pushing boundaries. This acceptance and integration of new technology, winemaking techniques and ideology are the hallmarks of these wines. From hanging the Graciano longer until it’s almost raisin-like to extended ageing in oak of Rioja’s dominant white grape Viura.
2014 Exopto – Containing 60% Graciano, Rioja’s rarest red grape, this wine is a power house of fruits of the forest, baking spice and dark chocolate. [READ MORE]
2015 Horizonte de Exopto – Following a more traditional line this Tempranillo matches blackberry and smoke with silky tannins and a mineral lift. [READ MORE]
2015 Bozeto de Exopto – 50% Garnacha, 40% Tempranillo, and 10% Graciano. Punchy currants, cedar and tobacco. [READ MORE]
