Discovering the Rioja wines

We went to a ceremony organized by the Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja (Regulation Council of Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin) which took place in the majestic Hotel Palace in Madrid. Around 100 wineries of DOC Rioja (Rioja Designation of Origin Qualification) were represented with its best wines. This was a wonderful occasion to taste and buy the Rioja wines. 

It was a pity that the wines were not at its right temperature, but they were hot. The temperature is very important when the wines are tasted since a low temperature hides its virtues and a high temperature only shows its defects. The glasses were not the appropriate either since the bowl was too wide instead of close in the top part in order to better concentrate the perfumes.

However, as it is said, the sons must not be responsible of their parents’ mistakes, and in this case, despite the two defects of the organization, it is impossible to deny the quality of the wines we tasted.

Here you have a list of the best Rioja wines: 

Contino Viña del Olivo 2007, elaborates with tempranillo and graciano grapes. Aged in oak barrels for16 months. 91pts. Parker. Around 65€

CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva 2000, elaborates with tempranillo, graciano and mazuelo grapes. Aged in French and American Oak barrels for 24 months. Around 28€.

Ángeles de Amaren 2007, tempranillo (85%) and Graciano (15%) grapes. Aged in new French and American barrels for 16 months. Around 16€

Altos R “Pigeage”,  tempranillo (90%) and graciano (10%) grapes from vines that are over 80 years old. Aged in new French barrels for 15 months. Around 30€










Finca Valpiedra 2007, Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in French Oak barrels for 22 months. Around 20€.

 




Roda I 2006, 100% tempranillo grape. Aged in French Oak Barrels ( 50% new, 50% one vintage) for 16 months. Standing in bottle for 20 months before be on sale. Around 35€.










Real de Asua 2002, tempranillo with a bite of graciano grapes. Aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months. Around 52€.










Aluen + 2008. 100% tempranillo grapes. Aged in new French and Eastern Europe barrels for 14 months. Around 32€.












Hacienda Pradolagar 2005, Tempranillo (40%), Garnacha (10%), Mazuelo (10%) and other (40%) grapes. Aged in French and Russian barrels by Seguin Moreau for 22 months. Just 3,000 bottles. Around 85€.










La Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva 1998, one of the classiest Rioja wines. Tempranillo and graciano grapes. Aged in American oak barrels for 48 months. Around 30€

Martínez Lacuesta Gran Reserva 2004, tempranillo (85%), graciano (10%) and mazuelo (5%). Aged in new and nearly new American oak barrels for 26 months. Standing in bottle for 36 months before be on sale. Around 21€

Tahón de Tobelos 2006, 100% tempranillo grapes from own vineyard located at the foot of Sierra de Cantabria, on the plots Hombón, La linde and La Tejera. Aged in French, American and Hungarian oak barrels. Around 22€.

Jurançon, the sweet side of the Pyrenees

The natives of the Jurançon area proudly proclaim that they have the oldest appellation of origin of the world. The French zone is west of the Pyrenees, at the height of the Spanish province of Navarra and claim that it was Navarra Parliament who created the name D.O. Jurançon in the fourteenth century.

Joined this sweet wine continued to history, when it was the christening of the future King Henry IV in 1553, he rubbed his lips with a clove of garlic and moistened with a drop of wine Jurançon. So it was considered "wine of kings, king of wines".

The extent of this designation is 550 hectares wine, divided into small plots at the foot of the Pyrenees. The vineyards have both high mountain climate and the pleasant breeze coming from the Bay of Biscay. Two of the most important features of the strains in this region are very high to avoid spring frosts and grape seeds are highly resistant to climate change.

In this region we raise the 2004 Gourmandise Cancaillaü the winery Clos. It is a small family winery with a vineyard area of ​​2 hectares in Barrere (Lahourcade). Its annual production does not exceed the 4,300 bottles are made from 100% Petit Manseng grapes.

WINE TASTING

Bottle label wearing classic, very classic.

Visual: Honey Yellow, bright and clean. Tears quite dense.

Nose: It has a surprising entry that we discover the aromas and the geographical area where it is made. Outstanding notes of tropical fruits (coconut, mango, pineapple), nuts (almonds), honey, quince and caramel latte.

Palate: The attack very pleasant and elegant, velvety, almost affectionate, with good structure and acidity correct. The main themes are honeyed and fruity. His final long haul leaves your palate pampered for nothing cloying sweetness between honeyed notes and nuts.

A curious surprise dessert wine for our guests. The only but… to find it. Price about  los 12-15€. Good value / quality / price.

ELIA 07, affection for a daughter through wine

We climbed a small wine Designation of Origin became official in 2002, Montsant. Is an extension of horseshoe-shaped area surrounding the designation of origin of the Priorato. Although his D.O. officer is new, is a long history of wine area for many years was made in the DO Tarragona subzone of Falset.

The broth is climb the vintage 2007 and is the fruit of the Bodega Ficaria Vins, a family winery that has made this wine the name of his youngest daughter, Elia. This winery is located in the town of La Figuera (Tarragona). Elia is a wine made ​​from Garnacha Tinta multivarietal (80%), Shiraz (10%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), all produced in their own vineyards, thus favoring the control of the entire process.

Fermentation was performed separately for each variety in stainless steel tanks of 1,000 liters. The aged in French Allier oak barrels of 225 liters for a period of time between 10 and 12 months. The production does not exceed 5,000 bottles.

WINE TASTING


Bordeaux bottle, dressed in simple but artistic label, representing an eye we assume to be the daughter. Alcohol Volume 14.8%

Visual: Picota Cardinals robe with piping. Brilliant. His tear is elegant and goes with the cup parsimony, tinted windows.

Nose: Input full of nuances with many red and black fruits ripe (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries), cacao, spices (black pepper), roasted, mineral and balsamic (mentholated).

Palate: powerful, nerve but still be tasty and delightful. Good structure, correct acidity and a tad of astringency. Alcohol very well integrated. Outstanding balsamic and toasted notes. It's a long wine journey that melts in your mouth leaving a load of ripe fruit and spices on your end.

An excellent wine to accompany dishes, stews power. Between 8-10 euros price, excellent value / quality / price

Alma de Mar, a numbered jewel

We've done three of the 1,000 bottles of Albariño wine lees Albamar that establishes each year, Alma de Mar, and quickly have gathered some friends to open and share it with them so little.

The first bottle is a wine tasting companion Mencia Designation of Origin Ribeira Sacra, Fusco, in Galician means "evening". Both wines are the fruit of the work of Alba and winemaker Xurxo wine tasting will upload another day.

This wine is made from strains of a parcel which is at the mouth of the river Umía with the Ria de Arosa. It is a plot with low yield, about 6,000 kilos per hectare when the normal of this area is in excess of 10.000k/ha.

The main feature in the production of this wine is allowed to stand it on its lees for almost six months. The lees are dead yeast deposited after alcoholic fermentation. The intent with this process is to give the wine complexity, smoothness and stability to the wines thanks to the contributions made to break the yeast cell wall.

This is due to perform "batonnage" which means removing the wine on the lees for the latter are in suspension and thus obtain additional aeration. In this case, during the first three months is done "batonnage" daily and the rest every week or ten days.


WINE TASTING

Burgundy-style bottle of thick glass with greenish color and dressed in fine stripes cheerful label in white and blue.

Visual: Lemon yellow, crystalline, brilliant. With slow and thick tear

Nose: A very elegant wine with fresh input. They leave notes of citrus (lemon, lime), balsamic (laurel), pastries (brioche), white fruit (pear) and a sweet touch of vanilla. salinity

Palate: creamy, velvety, subtle, with perfect acidity and structure. Are the notes of citrus and fruit predominate. Its finish is medium-long journey leaving his mouth hung with the final smoothness and taste very fresh.

Of course, in blind tasting could never claim to be an Albariño from Rias Baixas.

A wine that blends with seafood, fish and fresh goat cheeses, Emmental, and so on.

The only but I found ... there are only 1,000, not 997 bottles.