Portrait of Jean Marc Sauboua
i. Biography
Coming Up
Training at Château Haut-Brion gave Jean Marc Sauboua an early grounding in the kind of discipline that shows up in the finished wine: detail, structure, and control at every stage. The move from there to head of winemaking at Laithwaites, and then to winemaker of Altos de Rioja, marks a career built through successive responsibilities, each one extending the same attention to balance and finish.
Where They Are Now
The work associated with Altos de Rioja in Elvillar is built from assembly rather than flourish, with each element fitted into place until the bottle holds together as a whole. That is the house style Jean Marc Sauboua is tied to there: composed, deliberate, and aimed at a final wine that reads as one thing rather than many.
Career - Winemaker — Altos de Rioja - Head of Winemaking — Laithwaites Education: Château Haut-Brion
Signature
Jean's signature wines include Altos R Pigeage Graciano, Altos R Pigeage, Altos R Pigeage Blanco, and XAI Alt 2020. Read together, they show a range that moves across red and white while keeping close to the identity of the house, with each bottle carrying its own character inside the same framework.
In Their Words “We're sewing all this wine together and trying to make a masterpiece and often a unique blend and a unique wine.” “Our flagship Tempranillo is made from our best old vines and patiently barrel aged. Enjoy!”
Honors
The recognition singled out a wine made entirely from Graciano and aged in both French and American oak. It points to work that relies on precision rather than volume, where a single grape, handled with patience and oak, can be shaped into something with depth and length.
FAQ Where did Jean Marc Sauboua train or study? Jean Marc Sauboua trained at Château Haut-Brion. What is Jean Marc Sauboua known for? At Altos de Rioja, the top red has been made like a "Grand Cru" Rioja.
