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The International Wine Review August 2008 Report #13 The Wines Of Rioja: Classical and New Wave Introduction In This Issue Rioja is the heart and soul of Spanish wine. Not only is it Introduction .................................................. Cover one of Spain’s oldest and most prestigious wine producing regions, but no other wine region in Spain is better known or 30 Noteworthy Classical appreciated by consumers both within and outside Spain. As And New Wave Producers ................................3 shown in a recent survey, European consumers put Rioja on History of Modern Winemaking ...........................4 a par with Bordeaux in terms of recognition for quality wine. Wine critics in both Europe and America rate top Rioja wines The Region ...........................................................4 as among the best in the world. Contributing to its fame is the Rioja’s Classification System .................................5 fact that the Rioja DOCa’s six hundred wineries make it Spain’s The Grapes ..........................................................6 largest producer and exporter. In the Vineyard ......................................................6 Perhaps for too long, Rioja rested on its laurels, producing Winemaking ..........................................................8 traditional wines that often tasted over-oaked and tired in the Styles of Rioja Wine: Classical and New Wave ......9 international marketplace, especially compared to the fruit- Pairing Rioja Wine with Food: dominated wines of the New World. However, over the past two decades Rioja has undergone a continuing transformation A Tasting at Jaleo Restaurant ..........................10 that has led to dramatic improvements in both the quality The Market for Rioja ............................................11 and diversity of its wines. This transformation began in the Tasting Notes and Ratings ..................................12 1990s with a new generation of producers intent on realizing the potential of Rioja. They modernized winemaking practices Map of Rioja ........................................................30 and vineyard management while strongly committing to Wines of Rioja by Price and Ratings ....................31 making authentic Rioja wines that are expressive of their References and Further Reading .........................35 microclimate, soil, and vines. Equally as important as what these new winemakers did is what they did not do. They did not succumb to the temptation to produce the overly extracted gran reserva. New Wave Rioja rejects these regulations and alcoholic wines popular in some export markets. The result of alters oak treatment and aging depending on the quality this transformation is authentic wines that are richer in fruit with of the fruit and the vintage. Many wineries produce and better integrated oak that continue to express their terroir. market both Classical and New Wave Rioja wines to satisfy consumers whose tastes range from the traditional to the These quality improvements can be found in both Classical modern. and New Wave Rioja wines. Classical Rioja obeys the traditional DOCa regulations concerning mandatory oak and In this report, the International Wine Review explores the bottle aging required for classification as crianza, reserva, and changes which have taken place in Rioja over the past Continued on page 3. Subscription Information The International Wine Review is your link to in-depth and analytical Subscription Rates reports on important wine regions of the world and expert wine reviews and Web Version ratings of new wines on the market. • 1 year online 6 issues $40 • 2 years online 12 issues $60 The i-WineReview is published online and in print on a bi-monthly basis Print Version exclusively for subscribers--wine • 1 year printed 6 issues $60 enthusiasts and members of the wine • 2 years printed 12 issues $80 trade. Combined Web and Print Versions • 1 year combined 6 issues $75 Subscribers also receive Featured • 2 years combined 12 issues $100 Monthly Tasting reports of top new wine selections, access to all previously published i-WineReview reports, a Search of the Review’s tasting notes and ratings archive of more than 3,000 wines and more. Special group rates are available to wine clubs and wine schools. Contact the publishers about eligibility and rates. Tell your friend about the i-WineReview. A subscription to the i-WineReview makes a perfect gift! Subscribe online at www.i-winereview.com 2 Continued from page 1. Ellen Kirsh, and Tasting Coordinator, Roy Wagner, for their few decades. Our goal is to identify the factors that have inputs and to Miguel Reinares of the La Vineria wine shop contributed to the re-emergence of Rioja as one of Spain’s in Logroño for his collaboration and professional insights most exciting wine producing regions. After a brief look into the wines of Rioja. Finally, we wish to acknowledge at the region and its winemaking history, we examine with appreciation Hubrecht Duijker and John Bradford, two the key factors contributing to the improvements in Rioja passionate wine writers who contributed considerably to our winemaking in both the vineyard and in the winery. We understanding of Rioja and its wines. examine the contributions of Rioja’s Consejo Regulador Michael Potashnik, and its regulatory and classification system We also define Publisher, International Wine Review the different styles of wine found in Rioja today and how Donald Winkler, they pair with food. In a final section we analyze how Rioja Senior Editor, International Wine Review is positioning itself in export markets and its prospects for export growth especially in the United States market. Rioja’s 30 Noteworthy Classical And What do consumers need to know about purchasing Rioja New Wave Producers wines? To help readers make informed choices, our report and website www.i-winereview.com provide tasting notes On the basis of our extensive tastings, the following and ratings for more than 350 Rioja wines. All of these producers are noteworthy for crafting some of Rioja’s finest classical (CL) and new wave (NW) wines. These producers wines are available in the United States but are not all widely are among the many outstanding wineries in Rioja whose available in retail stores. As the shelves of wine stores and/ wines are reviewed in the Tasting Notes and Rating Section or supermarkets feature different quality levels and styles of of the report which begins on p. 12 Rioja wine, these reviews and ratings are essential to making informed consumer choices. We also provide a list of Bodega Abel Mendoza NW recommended producers. Given the wide variety of Rioja Bodegas Altanza CL wines of different prices, styles and vintages on the market Bodegas y Viñedos Artadi NW at any given moment, knowing the most reliable producers Bodega Baigorri NW is often the single most essential information to making a Baron de Ley CL wise purchase decision. Beronia CL Castillo de Cuzcurrita NW Acknowledgements Contino CL El Coto CL Many individuals and organizations have contributed to this Cune CL report, and we would like to thank each and every one of Finca Allende NW them. First and foremost, Ricardo Aguiriano and Rebeca Agricola Labastida NW Gomez of the Consejo Regulador de Rioja for their help in organizing our visit to Rioja. Pia Mara Finkell, Lisa Carley, Viñedos Labastida CL and Jon Stemel-- The Vibrant Rioja team in CRT/Tanaka Bodegas Lan CL for their encouragement and support of all aspects of our Bodegas Medrano Irazu CL work on Rioja. Tom Perry, Rioja Wine Exporters Association Marques de Murrieta CL/NW for his advice and sharing of information on the Rioja Marques de Caceres CL/NW wine industry. We also can’t say enough about the warm Martinez Lacuesta CL hospitality and knowledge and information provided us by Bodegas Muga CL/NW winemakers and staff of the wineries we visited. We received Bodegas y Viñedos Pujanza NW a great education thanks to all of them. In addition, this Remirez de Ganuza NW report would not have been possible without the complete Bodegas Palacios Remondo NW cooperation of the importers and distributors who provided Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri CL us with samples of their wines. We would like to thank Bodegas Roda NW Manager Robert Hall and Chef Ramon Martinez and the team of Jose Andres’ Jaleo Restaurant in Crystal City, VA Señorio de San Vicente NW for their collaboration on wine and food pairing. We also Sierra Cantabria NW appreciate the help of Jose Guerra, Deputy Director, Wines Compañia de Vinos Telmo Rodriguez NW from Spain in New York who encouraged and supported Bodegas Valdemar CL/NW our work and disseminated information about it. We also Finca Valpiedra CL/NW wish to express our appreciation to our Contributing Editor, Viñedos de Paganos NW 3 History of Modern Wine Making in Rioja difficult commercial situation. The diversion of resources necessitated by the Spanish civil war and both World Wars Had you been around then, you could have drunk wine resulted in the neglect and/or abandonment of many Rioja made in Rioja 3000 years ago. However, the origins of vineyards, some of which were replanted with cereal crops modern wine making in Rioja began only around 1850 to feed the commercially isolated Spanish population. with trouble in Bordeaux. Odium, also known as powdery The wine industry in Rioja stagnated. Nevertheless, there mildew, had been unknowingly imported to Europe from were limited positive events during this era, including the America