Rioja - September 2013

Rioja

As the weather turns cool and thoughts of fall are on our minds, we turn to red wines again.

 Spain is the 4th largest producer of wine in the world and it has more land in use for vineyards than any other country - 4.5 million acres!  Rioja has a reputation for being "easier on the head and stomach" than most other red wines.  A fact that many people are grateful for!

  

This is a lovely little region in Spain that produces some of the yummiest red wines!  It is the most famous wine growing region in all Spain.  

In 1982, there were 42 wineries in the Rioja region.  

Today, there are over 500!

Rioja is very close to the French border and actually came to be a wine producing region thanks exclusively to the French.  When the phylloxera (plant louse) nearly wiped out all the vines in Europe and almost destroyed the Bordeaux wine industry, some French owners decided to run for the border and start new vineyards.  Rioja is a growing region very similar to Bordeaux, so the move was actually very sound.

Why does this matter? 

 Well, Riojas are often described as having a Bordeaux style.  To understand the start of the wine industry in Rioja is to understand why the styles are similar.

Rioja is an easy wine to understand and to buy, no matter what your price point may be.  First, all Rioja is traditionally a blend.  There are some bodegas that are starting to produce 100% Tempranillo Rioja, but we will focus on the blends.

The major grapes in Rioja are Tempranillo and Garnacha.  

The blends are not, traditionally, on the label.  

There are 3 major levels of Rioja.

Crianza - 2 years of aging, with a minimum of 1 year in oak

Reserva - 3 years of aging, with a minimum of 1 year in oak

Gran Reserva - 5-7 years of aging, with a minimum of 2 years in oak

The price goes up with the aging, with some Gran Reservas going for upwards of $200.

If the label simply states "Rioja," there is generally not much aging and this is a zippy fruit, low tannin wine.

There are some stand out years for Rioja.

1994 and 2001 are considered the absolute best by vintners and tasters alike.  

2004 is also widely recognized as an exceptional year.  

2003, 2005, 2006 are quite good as well.

There is such a thing as a white Rioja, which we will NOT be tasting (though we have, in the past).  The main grape used for this is the Viura.  Only 20% of all grapes in Rioja are white.

What to expect

Crianza - easy drinking, earth, spice, cherry, vanilla

Reserva - more subtle than Crianza, intense earth, old saddle leather, tobacco

Gran Reserva - silky, elegant, raspberry, strawberry, leather, nuts, preserved meat

We will be tasting 1 Crianza, 1 Reserva, & 2 Gran Reserva.

Pictures and tasting to notes to follow.

First up, Marques de Caceres Crianza.  VERY drinkable.  This is a typical Rioja that you will find just about anywhere nowadays.  Marques de Caceres is one of the big "houses" of Rioja in Spain.  This one cost $11.99 at Wegman's
 

 

Next was Lan Reserva Rioja.  This was $17.99 at Wegmans.  This was the least favorite of the night (though it was NOT bad at all).  It was far smoother than you expect a Rioja to be.  Nice, but most of us preferred the first one over this one.

 

Lan Gran Reserva Rioja 2005.  There IS a difference in the levels of Rioja and it IS noticeable!  WOW!!!  Takes Rioja to a whole new level!!!  This one got emptied quickly.  $23.99 at Wegmans.

 

Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva 2004.  This was the star of the evening!  2004 is considered a truly excellent vintage for Rioja (similar to the way Bordeaux has premium vintages).  This wine was gone first, though there were some who preferred the first bottle over this one.  This bottle cost $29.99 at Wegmans and will definitely be purchased by me again!  YUMMY, YUMMY, YUM!  If you want to really, really, really enjoy a Rioja, I highly recommend you try this.  Doesn't even need food (but man oh man, did the barbeque, bacon wrapped water chestnuts pair wonderfully with this!).

Cheers,

Kitti