Standing in the high, remote old vineyards of Peciña, in the Sierra Cantabria mountains, with young winemaker Eduardo Eguren, listening as he recounted with passion and love how Cuentaviñas was born, and what makes the terroir of this stunning plot so special, was a defining moment for me in understanding how Rioja is pushing boundaries.
This year, Eduardo has offered the full range of his wines en primeur exclusively to The Wine Society on top of just his top cuvées, including his Ribera del Duero and Cordovin garnacha, giving members the chance to access them at optimum value before release. We tasted through barrel samples of the 2025 vintage together, which is one of the trickiest he remembers. He had to work hard in the vineyard to manage humidity and mildew, challenges made all the more demanding by the fact that he farms organically and biodynamically. In the end, the yield was small, but the quality fantastic.
Order by midday, Thursday 27th August
Cuentaviñas, a name that fuses cuentacuentos (storyteller) and viñas (vines), is Eduardo’s personal project, born in 2018 when he was gifted ancient vineyard plots by his maternal grandfather. With experience at Artadi and Teso La Monja in Toro under his belt, and an unbeatable knowledge of the land, passed down through his grandfather, father and uncle, he stepped away to embark on making wines according to his own vision. Eduardo brings a rare mix of sensitivity and technical finesse, making it easy to understand how the reputation of his wines is moving from cult status to world-class recognition.
His wines are truly beautiful: vinous and perfumed, combining precision in the vineyard with a light touch in the cellar. Averse to overt oak and heavy extraction, he uses larger, older barrels and amphorae to keep the wines accessible in their youth, while still delivering structure and complexity. The goal, as Eduardo puts it, is to give them a 'false sense of lightness': full-bodied Rioja and Ribera del Duero with the elegance and clarity of great Burgundy.
