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Hugonell Rioja Joven shows a very different side of Rioja, putting juicy young fruit ahead of the oak and mature flavours associated with Crianza and Reserva. Tempranillo leads a traditional four-grape blend, delivering ripe plum, strawberry and red cherry in a soft, immediately approachable style.
Made for drinking while its fruit remains fresh and vibrant, this is medium-bodied, smooth and wonderfully uncomplicated. It's a particularly good choice if you enjoy Rioja but don't necessarily want pronounced oak ageing, or simply want an easy-going Spanish red that works equally well around the dinner table or on its own.
Hugonell Rioja Joven is Rioja with the emphasis firmly on fruit. Ripe plum, strawberry and juicy red cherry take centre stage, supported by soft tannins and just enough spice to give the wine character without taking away from its freshness.
It's also a useful reminder that Rioja doesn't have to mean lots of oak or long maturation. Joven is made to be enjoyed young, making this a particularly approachable introduction to the fresher, fruitier side of the region.
Merchant's Tip
If you usually associate Rioja with vanilla, oak and mature savoury flavours, try this for contrast. Hugonell Joven keeps the focus on juicy fruit and easy drinking, so it's a good choice when you want Rioja without needing all the complexity that comes from extended maturation.
Nose
Fresh and inviting, with ripe strawberry, red cherry and plum alongside subtle floral and spicy notes.
Palate
Juicy red and purple fruit leads a soft, medium-bodied palate, with gentle tannins and enough freshness to keep the wine lively and easy to drink.
Finish
Fresh, fruity and uncomplicated, with lingering cherry and plum and a gentle touch of spice.
Choose Hugonell Joven if you want Rioja's ripe fruit and easy drinkability without the stronger oak influence and developed flavours associated with longer ageing. It's particularly well suited to anyone who prefers youthful, fruit-led reds or wants an uncomplicated Rioja that can be enjoyed without food.
If you're wondering whether this younger style or an oak-aged Rioja would suit you better, our Crianza vs Reserva vs Gran Reserva guide explains how maturation changes the character of Rioja.
Tempranillo forms the heart of Hugonell Joven, supported by Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. Together they give the wine its combination of juicy red and dark fruit, freshness, gentle structure and subtle aromatic complexity.
The grapes are fermented on their skins before the wine completes malolactic fermentation and is prepared for relatively early bottling. Without extended barrel maturation reshaping its character, the fresh fruit remains the dominant feature of the finished wine.
That's the important difference between this and Rioja's more familiar aged styles: rather than asking oak and time to add vanilla, spice and mature savoury complexity, Hugonell Joven is intended to capture the generous fruit of the grapes while it's still youthful and vibrant.
The soft tannins and juicy fruit make Hugonell Joven particularly versatile with food. Try it with chicken or turkey, burgers, grilled pork, simple beef or lamb dishes, charcuterie, tapas and tomato-based pasta.
Serve at around 14–16°C. A slight coolness particularly suits its fresh, fruit-led character, and there's no need to decant it.
For more ideas, our Rioja Food Pairing Guide explores which foods work particularly well with different styles of Rioja.
This earns its place by showing something that many people's idea of Rioja overlooks. Rather than using oak and extended maturation to create the character of the wine, Hugonell Joven lets youthful fruit do the talking.
That makes it an easy bottle to understand and an equally easy one to enjoy: juicy, soft and versatile, but still unmistakably part of the Rioja story.
If this fresher, fruit-led expression appeals to you, explore our Rioja Joven collection for other young Riojas where fruit takes priority over extended maturation.
If Hugonell has made you curious about how Rioja changes as it spends longer ageing in barrel and bottle, our Crianza vs Reserva vs Gran Reserva guide is the natural next step.
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