Ukan Winery – Rioja Alavesa from Laguardia
Ukan Winery is located in Laguardia, in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. The winery is a project of the youngest generation of the Eguren family and is run by Koldo Eguren, the fifth generation of the family, together with his cousin Eduardo, who serves as winemaker. Ukan combines the knowledge built up by the family over generations with a younger, internationally influenced perspective on Rioja. The focus is on Tempranillo from selected vineyards in Rioja Alavesa. The wines are not intended to represent a general Rioja style, but to express their origin, the old vines and the cool, higher-altitude sites around Laguardia with precision. Ukan works in small quantities, with meticulous vineyard work, hand harvesting, rigorous selection and restrained vinification.
Rioja Alavesa Terroir: Laguardia, Old Vines and Calcareous Sites
Rioja Alavesa is characterised by high-altitude sites, calcareous soils and marked temperature differences between day and night. These conditions support Tempranillo with freshness, aromatic clarity, tannin structure and good balance. Around Laguardia, they produce wines that combine ripe fruit and power with precision, tension and fine spice. Ukan Rioja DOCa in particular reflects the winery’s ambition: the wine comes from old Tempranillo vines in selected vineyards in Laguardia. The parcels are vinified separately and later blended into a structured, multi-layered cuvée. The result is a Rioja that brings together concentration, freshness and expression of origin in a composed manner.
Artisanal Vinification and a Clear Style
Ukan relies on careful grape processing and vinification that preserves the character of the individual sites. The grapes are harvested by hand, selected and processed with restrained intervention. Depending on the wine, concrete tanks, open oak vats and French barriques are used. The ageing supports structure, texture and spice without obscuring the fruit and freshness of the Tempranillo. Ukan’s wines show a modern, precise Rioja Alavesa style. They are not focused on overt power, but on balance between fruit, freshness, tannins, oak influence and length. Senderos de Ukan is more accessible and fruit-driven, while Ukan Rioja DOCa places greater emphasis on old vines, depth, structure and ageing potential.
Overview of Wines from Ukan Winery
The buonvino.gmbh range includes selected wines from Ukan Winery that show different expressions of Rioja Alavesa:
- Senderos de Ukan Rioja DOCa - single-varietal Tempranillo from Rioja Alavesa with dark fruit, black pepper, fine cocoa notes, velvety tannins and 12 months of ageing in French barriques
- Ukan Rioja DOCa – single-varietal Tempranillo from old vines in Laguardia with ripe cherry fruit, forest berries, fine spice notes, toasted aromas and 16 months of ageing in French barriques
This selection shows the winery’s two central lines: Senderos de Ukan as a precise, fresh and more accessible Tempranillo from Rioja Alavesa, and Ukan Rioja DOCa as a more concentrated wine from old vines in Laguardia.
Origin, Style and Ageing
Ukan Winery stands for Rioja wines with a clear sense of origin, careful selection and a composed, precise style. Old Tempranillo vines, small production volumes, separate vinification of selected parcels and targeted ageing in French oak shape the character of the wines. At buonvino.gmbh, Ukan Winery complements the Spanish range with Rioja Alavesa wines that combine a traditional grape variety base with modern precision. The wines show Tempranillo not as heavy or cumbersome, but as structured, fresh, multi-layered and endowed with good ageing potential.