1 items £44.00
Not every Rioja needs years in a barrel before it has something worthwhile to say.
Ondarre Primeur shows a younger, more immediate side of Bodegas Ondarre. Ripe black and red fruits take the lead, while five months in French and American oak provide just enough vanilla, spice and structure to make the wine interesting without turning it into a miniature Reserva.
Organic, vegan-friendly and generously flavoured, it is an excellent choice for customers who want the character of Rioja in a softer, fruit-forward and less formal style.
Why We Think You'll Love It
Merchant's Recommendation
Recommended if you enjoy: ripe Spanish reds, youthful Tempranillo, juicy Garnacha, gently oaked wines or Rioja flavours without the more developed character of a Reserva.
Rioja Without the Long Wait
Rioja is often introduced through wines labelled Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva. These categories are useful because they tell us something about how long a wine has matured, but they do not represent every worthwhile way of making Rioja.
Ondarre Primeur was created to capture the fruit and energy of the grapes much earlier in their development. It spends only five months in oak before release, preserving ripe berry flavours while gaining a light seasoning of vanilla, cedar and spice.
The result is recognisably Rioja, but Rioja with its sleeves rolled up: generous, approachable and ready for an informal meal rather than waiting for a grand occasion.
Why Does Ondarre Primeur Exist?
Bodegas Ondarre is best known for wines in which extended maturation plays an important role. Its Reserva demonstrates how fruit, oak and time can gradually combine to create complexity and harmony.
Primeur asks a different question:
What does this fruit taste like before maturation becomes the main story?
Its purpose is not to imitate the Reserva at a lower price. It allows Tempranillo and Garnacha to remain at the centre of the wine, supported rather than defined by oak.
That gives Primeur a clear place in the Ondarre range. The Reserva shows what time can add. Primeur reminds us what was there at the beginning.
Is This the Right Rioja for You?
Choose Primeur when you want a Rioja that feels ripe, smooth and expressive without the more savoury, developed flavours associated with prolonged barrel and bottle maturation.
It is particularly well suited to relaxed meals, sharing plates, barbecues and evenings when a traditional Reserva might feel more serious than the occasion requires.
If you prefer pronounced cedar, leather, tobacco and mature savoury complexity, Ondarre Rioja Reserva is likely to be the better choice.
If you value vibrant fruit, gentle oak and immediate appeal, Primeur has been made with precisely that experience in mind.
Tasting Notes
Appearance: Deep ruby red with youthful purple and garnet tones.
Nose: Ripe blackberry, black cherry, raspberry and plum are joined by gentle vanilla, cedar and sweet oak spice.
Palate: Full-flavoured and smooth, with generous black and red fruit, soft acidity and fine tannins. Short oak maturation adds texture and spice without covering the wine's fruit-led character.
Finish: Supple and satisfying, leaving ripe berry fruit, mild vanilla and a final touch of warming spice.
About Bodegas Ondarre
Bodegas Ondarre was founded in 1985 in the historic town of Viana, where the vineyards rise towards the Sierra de Codés on Rioja's northern boundary.
The producer is particularly associated with carefully matured Rioja, but Primeur demonstrates another aspect of its winemaking. It shows that Ondarre's identity does not depend solely upon long ageing; it begins with the character and quality of the fruit.
Discover more about Bodegas Ondarre and its wines
Vineyards
The grapes come from a certified organic vineyard parcel on south-facing slopes in Rioja's northern hills.
The terrain is irregular, crossed by streams descending from the mountains, while the shallow soils are generally poor in nutrients. Clay helps retain valuable moisture during warm summers, with iron and chalk contributing to the varied character of the site.
Low yields and careful grape selection help produce concentrated fruit while preserving the freshness needed to keep this generous style balanced.
Grape Varieties
Ondarre Primeur 2020 is made from 68% Tempranillo and 32% Garnacha.
Tempranillo provides dark fruit, body and structure. Garnacha brings ripe red-fruit character, softness and generosity, helping create the approachable style that distinguishes Primeur from Ondarre's longer-aged wines.
Winemaking
Tempranillo and Garnacha are fermented separately under controlled temperatures, allowing the winemaking team to manage the character and extraction of each variety individually.
Maceration lasts approximately 16 to 18 days, drawing colour, flavour and fine tannins from the grape skins.
The wine is then transferred to 225-litre French and American oak barrels, where it rests for five months. This brief maturation introduces gentle vanilla, cedar and spice while deliberately allowing the fruit to remain the dominant feature.
Primeur describes the wine's intended style and early release rather than suggesting that it is entirely unoaked. The short period in barrel is what gives it enough depth to remain interesting while retaining its immediate, fruit-forward appeal.
Organic and Vegan-Friendly
The grapes are organically grown, avoiding conventional synthetic herbicides and pesticides within the vineyard.
The wine is also suitable for vegans, making it a useful option when choosing a bottle for guests with different dietary preferences.
Neither fact alone guarantees that a wine will taste good. Here, however, they sit alongside careful vineyard selection and thoughtful winemaking rather than replacing them.
Food Pairing
Primeur's combination of ripe fruit, smooth texture and restrained oak makes it particularly versatile at the table.
Try it with tapas, chorizo, grilled pork, lamb kebabs, hamburgers, meatballs, sausages, tomato-based stews or roasted vegetables. Its generous fruit also works well with mildly spiced dishes and smoky barbecue flavours.
For cheese, choose Manchego, young Cheddar or other firm cheeses that will complement the wine without overpowering its fruit.
Explore our complete Rioja food-pairing guide
Serving
Serve at approximately 15–17°C. Slightly cooler than room temperature will emphasise the wine's fruit and freshness while keeping its alcohol and oak in balance.
Primeur does not require prolonged decanting. Opening it 20 to 30 minutes before serving should be sufficient, although a brief splash into a decanter can help the fruit become more expressive.
Merchant's Insight
Customers sometimes approach Rioja as though every bottle sits on a single ladder, with Joven at the bottom and Gran Reserva at the top.
That misses the purpose of wines such as Primeur.
A longer-aged wine is not automatically the correct bottle for every meal or every customer. Sometimes ripe fruit, gentle oak and easy companionship are more desirable than layers of mature complexity.
Primeur gives you the opportunity to buy according to the occasion rather than according to the length of time printed on an ageing chart.
Merchant's Verdict
Ondarre Primeur is the least formal member of the Ondarre family, but it is not an afterthought.
It captures the producer's fruit before extended maturation reshapes it, giving customers a softer, brighter and more immediate route into Rioja.
Choose the Reserva when you want maturity, savoury complexity and the reassuring character of a traditionally aged Rioja. Choose Primeur when you want the conversation to begin with fruit.
Both wines come from the same producer. They simply answer different questions.
Choosing with Confidence
We can ship your order to all UK mainland addresses, usually on a next day delivery.
Our shipping fee is typically £5.95 for a single item order, and a maximum of £7.50 for all other orders. Delivery fees are calculated during check-out.
If your delivery address is local, delivery is free, delivered on the same day you order. Alternatively, you can collect it from our shop.
Click here for cut off times and full details of our courier service.
It is an offence for a person under the age of 18 to buy or attempt to buy alcohol. By making a purchase, you acknowledge that you are 18 years of age or over.