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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.1 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 127 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Purple Tooth on 3/3/2024 & rated 89 points: Now we are seeing the wrinkles on this beauty that was so head turning it its prime days. Shows big with excellent retention of fruit and power, but it just lacks freshness now. DRINK (619 views) | | | Tasted by hosscrow on 1/19/2024 & rated 88 points: Bordeaux-like without the smoke flavors that I associate with traditional Rioja. Nearly opaque, ruby with significant rim variation and some bricking.
Unlike other CT comments, I say Drink now. Blackberry, some cherry but mostly savory and spice notes plus leather and cedar. Full mouthfeel, chewy tannins. medium plus acidity and a short finish. A disappointment as I have enjoyed Remelluri often. This bottle seems to be aging quickly to me. (495 views) | | | Tasted by thesternowl on 1/13/2024 & rated 92 points: After an initial smell and taste, I felt the wine was a bit shy and some air would do some good. Additionally, there appeared to be quite a bit of sediment so I poured into a Riedel Amadeo decanter about an hour before service. The 2009 Reserva pours a deep ruby with a near opaque core with some slight rim variation; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of dark dried cherries, sage, dried/cracked leather, dill, tobacco, anise, a touch of furniture varnish and some baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose with some added mint on the very long finish. This is a very lovely, traditional leaning Reserva that’s just beginning to show secondary characteristics. Drinking well now and should continue to do so well past 2029. (677 views) | | | Tasted by MuddyBoots on 8/4/2023: This is fresh. Great acid. The fruit is tasting really young. Noticeable oak. At first I got a little heat on the back end. More troubling is the grippy tannin, really quite drying in the gums. A good while since I had a Rioja - but I doubt these tannins ever really lose their dryness. This is a wine with great architectural underpinnings. I would wait ten years and hope for the best. Bought on release. (928 views) | | | Tasted by Jsnelten on 12/6/2022 & rated 90 points: Nice, can still age (1559 views) | | | Tasted by YH2 on 12/19/2021: Trevligt husvin tull billig peng (2477 views) | | | Tasted by Birdmountain wine on 12/18/2021 & rated 93 points: Perfectly mature and a wine with at lovely velvety texture, despite the heavy fruitdriven and spicy layers of taste. Highly recomendable. (2216 views) | | | Tasted by Tschwalv on 11/14/2021 & rated 90 points: Pretty good, but counting the last days…
Drink up soon (2504 views) | | | Tasted by jdporter3 on 7/10/2021: I think its time has come. Had to wait the better part of two days to enjoy this and it just wasn’t what it used to be. Seems like it fell off surprisingly quick but it certainly is time to drink it up! (2601 views) | | | Tasted by up4wine on 6/25/2021 & rated 85 points: I think this wine, unfortunately, is well past its prime, or maybe it never actually had a prime. (2298 views) | | | Tasted by Larsrar on 5/13/2021 & rated 88 points: A bit of bret - bad bottle? (1439 views) | | | Tasted by Larsrar on 4/15/2021 & rated 89 points: Start drinking now - with food.
A bit old school - firm with noticeable wood.
Not a charmer! (1482 views) | | | Tasted by Likawine on 3/26/2021 & rated 89 points: Classic spanish wine.
Dill, oak, vanilla. (1285 views) | | | Tasted by #1 or #2? on 1/23/2021 & rated 90 points: swirling the glass... strawberries, vanilla, green pepper, olives. this is bright, lifted and polished. it’s acidic and juicy, both sweet and spicy, finishing with a nice mineral note. (1252 views) | | | Tasted by Jesperbruun on 1/8/2021 & rated 91 points: Excellent value. Smooth with Dark fruit and a Nice touch of vanilla. Soft tannins (1290 views) | | | Tasted by Birdmountain wine on 12/24/2020 & rated 92 points: Perfectly mature (1160 views) | | | Tasted by jdporter3 on 6/23/2020: Still quite excellent - see my prior notes. Has time for sure. Lovely balance. Aging well but wouldn’t expect improvement. French feeling for sure. No need to relate. Very glad I bought a case. (1539 views) | | | Tasted by Larsrar on 2/17/2020 & rated 89 points: Drinkable, but at bit like a closed fist, not happy to give away what's inside. Likely to improve . Wait with next bottle until 2021. (1884 views) | | | Tasted by forceberry on 1/5/2020 & rated 93 points: 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Somewhat translucent and slightly developed black cherry red color. Ripe, dark-toned and slightly sweet-toned nose of juicy figs and dark plummy fruit, some strawberry, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light earthy tones, a green and slightly herbal note of dill perhaps and a touch of blackcurrant. The wine is ripe, moderately full-bodied and velvet-textured on the palate with brooding flavors of juicy dark fruits, some licorice, a little bit of dark-toned oak spice, light stony mineral notes, a sweet hint of strawberry and a touch of ripe black cherry. Moderately high in acidity with ripe, firm and textural tannins. The ripe finish is moderately grippy with quite long and juicy flavors of sweet strawberries, some meaty umami, a little bit of savory wood spice, light stony mineral tones, a hint of earthy spice and a sweet touch of black cherry.
A rich, firm and textural Rioja with lots of ripe fruit, very modest oak influence and terrific balance. The wine is very harmonious, but perhaps also a bit anonymous due to its very polished style; I had no idea the wine was a Rioja red - or a Spanish wine, for that matter - when tasting the wine blind, and when it became clear that the wine came from the Iberian peninsula, I went immediately to Portugal, not to Spain. That is not to say this is a poor wine, which it definitely isn't; it just isn't screaming "Rioja". Based on how relatively little evolution the wine shows based on my taste 4½ years ago, I can imagine this will continue to improve for years more. Priced according to its quality at 31,90€. (1975 views) | | | Tasted by Krassens on 12/7/2019 & rated 91 points: Has developed nicely. Needs 1-2 h in carafe to open up. Dark blue fruit, black pepper, bit of volatility on the nose; on the palate rich black currant - in ways reminiscent of cabernet sauvignon, albeit with less herbacity - green bell pepper, quite feisty yet well integrated tannins, notoverly jammy, surprisingly low oak. Heavily sedimented. (1816 views) | | | Tasted by mflesh on 11/13/2019 & rated 90 points: Not a bad wine, but really nothing memorable. This wine is medium++ bodied, lots of cigar ash and black fruit dominant. Some black olive and herb and smoked tobacco make this a bit interesting and breaks the mold a bit towards the finish. In the end, this one is a little bit linear. Tannin present, but rather soft and perhaps a bit toasted. I have a 1978, which I don't expect great things from after tasting this one at 10 years post vintage unless these have a knack for hibernating? For the price, this one delivers and was a very nice accompaniment to pork tenderloin. Drink now, or definitely within the next five years. (2070 views) | | | Tasted by Still Learning on 8/19/2019 & rated 90 points: Biarritz. Very nice wine, with age starting to show. After bottle finished, we moved to a Contino, which was a bit of a disappointment. Should try to buy again at Leclerc if they have it next year. (1720 views) | | | Tasted by Larsrar on 7/13/2019 & rated 89 points: Slightly leaner and more backwards than the 2008. Still not quite fully mature. Open next bottle in 2020. (1636 views) | | | Tasted by up4wine on 1/10/2019 & rated 87 points: My last place of 8 Rioja's in this week's tasting. The finish was a little on the harsh side with tannins fighting the wine. It was better on the 2nd day; maybe needs a lot of air. (2187 views) | | | Tasted by Vinogan(s) on 1/3/2019 & rated 92 points: Vanilla, red fruit, cinnamon, some sweetness, acidity, juicy and yet firm (2066 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Michael Godel
WineAlign (9/10/2016)
(Granja Remelluri Rioja Gran Reserva red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Szabo, MS
WineAlign (9/7/2016)
(Granja Remelluri Rioja Gran Reserva red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (5/2/2016)
(Remelluri Rioja Reserva, Spain) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (6/23/2015)
(Remelluri, Reserva Rioja Red) Subscribe to see review text. | i-WineReview.com, Report 43: Rioja - A New Look (6/1/2014)
(Remelluri Reserva Rioja) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, September/October 2013, IWC Issue #170
(Granja Nuestra Senora de Remelluri Rioja Reserva) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (1/25/2015)
(La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Rioja Reserva) Dark ruby color; ripe cherry, ripe red berry, tart berry nose; tasty, youthful, ripe red berry, tart cherry, mineral palate; could use 3-4 years; medium-plus finish 91 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign and JamesSuckling.com and JancisRobinson.com and i-WineReview.com and Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Producer websiteTempranillo BlendTempranillo is the backbone of wines made ihvhhcn the best well-known Spanish regions Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but is also grown as far afield as Mexico and Australia.
As a flavor profile, red fruits like strawberries and cherries can predominate - but with a rustic edge. The Many wines made from Tempranillo will spend a few years in barrel and bottle before reaching the consumers . Many Tempranillo-based wines see a few years of oak - add that to a few years of bottle and the wine can give a subtle - and occasionaly not-so-subtle - leathery mouthfeel. The combination of the tart fruit and tannins make this wine very food friendly.ReservaStill Portuguese table wines of designated origin may also be labelled "reserva", indicating an alcohol content of at least 0.5% higher than the legal minimum established by the respective DOC or VR; however, stricter requirements in individual DOCs may supersede this standard.
(Court of Master Sommeliers)Spain Vinos de España - Wines of Spain (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) | Wikipedia
Wine Map on weinlagen-info
Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world, occupying the majority of the Iberian Peninsula with vast diversity in climate, culture, and of course, wine. From inky, dark reds of the [Priorat] to dry, white Finos from Andalusia, Spain can easily boast of elaborating a wide variety of notable styles. Within Spain there are currently 62 demarcated wine regions, of which a handful have gained international recognition: [Rioja], Priorat and [Ribera del Duero]. Yet these regions are only a small sample of the high quality wines Spain produces. Regions such as Cava, Penedes, Somontano, Galicia, Rueda and Jerez are only a few of the numerous regions worthy of exploration throughout Spain. Spain can also lay claim to having the most land under vine in the world, growing up to, by some accounts, 600 indigenous varietals of which Tempranillo is their most well known. Other popular varietals include [Garnacha], Bobal and Monastrell for reds and for whites; the infamous [sic] Palomino Fino grape which is used in the production of sherry wine, Pedro Ximenez in Montilla Morilles, Albarino used in the creation of the bright, effervescent wines of Galicia, and Verdejo in Rueda. - Source: - Catavino.net
Spain is not in the forefront of winemaking for its dessert wines, other than for its sweet wines from Sherry country including the highly revered Olorosos (when sweetened). But apart from Sherry Spain has a range of styles of dessert wines, ranging from the those made from the Pedro Ximenez grape primarily in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles) to luscious, red dessert wines made in the Mediterranean from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape. Some good Moscatels are made in Mallorca, Alicante and Navarre. The northwest corner of Spain, Galicia, with its bitter Atlantic climate, is even making dessert wines, called “Tostadillos” in the village of Ribadivia (similar to France’s “Vin de Paille”). The Canary Islands have made interesting dessert wines for centuries (they are mentioned by Shakespeare, for example) and in recent years the quality of winemaking has been improved and the Canary Islands wines are being better marketed now. The winemaking styles for “Vinos Dulces” are also diverse, from “Late Harvest” (Vendimia Tardía) to “Fortified Wines” (Fermentación Parcial). Based on in-spain.info.La Rioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
Map on weinlagen-infoRioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
HISTORY
The wine region of La Rioja in Spain was first demarcated by the area's governing body, the Consejo Regulador, in 1926. The region extends for approximately 120 kilometres along both sides of the Ebro River and is, at its widest point, bounded by mountains on either side. In fact, the word 'Rioja' is a derivation of the two words 'Rio' (River) and 'Oja (the name of a tributary of the Ebro that runs right through La Rioja creating a series of microclimates and providing much needed water for the vines).
La Rioja has always been a vital part of Spain's history. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors, and finally, medieval Crusaders have all played a part in the area's history. The Romans, however, made wine a part of their culture wherever they travelled, and La Rioja was no exception. Ancient sites of Roman wineries still exist in and around the area today.
After the Romans came the Moors, and winemaking all but ceased. It wasn't until after the famous 'El Cid' liberated Spain, and medieval Christianity brought trade via the Crusaders through the region, that it flourished again. The Benedictine monks of Cluny in Burgundy, known for their viticulture, helped to establish three monasteries in the area. The vines they planted were mostly white grapes. In the fourteenth century, English traders acquired a taste for a local Rioja wine, which was a blend of white and red wines called Blancos Pardillos. Over time, development of lighter reds came about satisfying eighteenth century English and French courts.
The real improvements to Rioja's viticulture began around 1780 when the need to prolong wine during transport brought about experimentation with different woods and preservatives. Studies were made of the techniques used by great chateaux in Bordeaux. With the outbreak of the Peninsular War, progress was halted until 1852, when the Bordelais came south to Rioja seeking vines because their vineyards had been blighted with oidium. French winemaking methods were eagerly taken up by great rivals the Marques de Murrieta and Marques de Riscal (who both claim to have been the first in Rioja to make wine in the Bordeaux fashion).
When phylloxera devastated Bordeaux in the 1870s and the French influence really took hold in Rioja, many of the region's finest bodegas started production on what we now consider as the great wines of Rioja. It’s important to remember that Bordeaux winemaking methods then were very different to those employed today in France, and involved long ageing in barrel, a factor that the Riojans took up enthusiastically. So enthusiastically in fact that to this day there are a number of Bodegas that still make their wine in a surprisingly similar fashion to that of the Bordelais in the later part of the 1800s and this also explains why oak ageing is such an important part of Riojan winemaking.
USE OF OAK
Pronounced vanilla flavours in the wines are a trademark of the region though some modern winemakers are experimenting with making wines less influenced by oak. Originally French oak was used but as the cost of the barrels increased many bodegas began to buy American oak planks and fashion them into barrels at Spanish cooperages in a style more closely resembling the French method. This included hand splitting the wood, rather than sawing, and allowing the planks time to dry and 'season' in the outdoors versus drying in the kiln. In recent times, more bodegas have begun using French oak and many will age wines in both American and French oak for blending purposes.
In the past, it was not uncommon for some bodegas to age their red wines for 15-20 years or even more before their release. One notable example of this is Marqués de Murrieta which released its 1942 vintage Gran Reserva in 1983 after 41 years of ageing. Today most bodegas have shifted their winemaking focus to wines that are ready to drink sooner with the top wines typically ageing for 4-8 years prior to release though some traditionalists still age longer. The typical bodega owns anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 oak barrels.
The use of oak in white wine has declined significantly in recent times when before the norm was traditionally 2-5 years in oak. This created slightly oxidised wines with flavours of caramel, coffee, and roasted nuts that did not appeal to a large market of consumers. Today the focus of white winemakers has been to enhance the vibrancy and fruit flavours of the wine.
WINE CLASSIFICATION
Most Riojan Bodegas believe that the ageing of a wine should be the responsibility of the producer rather than that of the consumer, and this is why much Rioja is more mature than wines from other countries. Rioja red wines are classified into four categories. The first, simply labelled 'Rioja', or 'Sin Crianza' (meaning 'without ageing') is the youngest, spending less than a year in oak. A "Crianza" is wine aged for at least two years, at least one of which is in oak. 'Reserva' is aged for at least three years, of which at least one year is in oak. Finally, 'Gran Reserva' wines have been aged at least two years in oak and three years in bottle. Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are not necessarily produced each year. Also produced are wines in a semi-crianza style, those that have had a couple of months of oak influence but not enough to be called a full crianza. The designation of Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva might not always appear on the front label but may appear on a neck or back label in the form of a stamp designation known as Consejo.
SUB REGIONS
Rioja Alta
Located on the western edge of the region, and at higher elevations than the other areas, the Rioja Alta is known for more fruity and concentrated wines which can have very smooth texture and mouth feel.
Rioja Alavesa
Despite sharing a similar climate as the Alta region, the Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller body and higher acidity. Vineyards in the area have a low vine density with large spacing between rows. This is due to the relatively poor conditions of the soil with the vines needing more distance from each other and less competition for the nutrients in the surrounding soil.
Rioja Baja
Unlike the more continental climate of the Alta and Alavesa, the Rioja Baja is strongly influenced by a Mediterranean climate which makes this area the warmest and driest of the Rioja. In the summer months, drought can be a significant viticultural hazard, though since the late 1990s irrigation has been permitted. Temperatures in the summer typically reach 95°F. Twenty percent of the vineyards actually fall within the Navarra appellation but the wine produced from the grapes is still allowed to claim the Rioja designation. The predominant grape here is the Garnacha which prefers the hot conditions, unlike the more aromatic Tempranillo. Consequently Baja wines are very deeply coloured and can be highly alcoholic with some wines at 18% alcohol by volume. The wines typically do not have much acidity or aroma and are generally used as blending components with wines from other parts of
the Rioja.
The Riojans are master blenders (as they have to be because there are relatively few single estates in the area, the norm being to blend from a wide variety of vineyards and wine areas). Consequently they are able to reduce vintage variation by careful blending and many of the best wines vary relatively little between vintages.
VITICULTURE & GRAPES
Rioja wines are normally a blend of various grape varieties, and can be either red (tinto), white (blanco) or rosé (rosado). Rioja has a total of 57,000 hectares cultivated, yielding 250 million litres of wine annually, of which 85% is red. The harvest time for most Rioja vineyards is September-October with the northern Rioja Alta having the latest harvest in late October. The soil here is clay-based with a high concentration of chalk and iron (which provides the redness in the soil that may be responsible for the region's name, Rioja, meaning red). There is also significant concentration of limestone, sandstone and alluvial silt.
Among the Tintos, the best-known and most widely-used variety is Tempranillo. Other grapes used include Garnacha Tinta, Graciano, and Mazuelo. A typical blend will consist of approximately 60% Tempranillo and up to 20% Garnacha, with much smaller proportions of Mazuelo and Graciano. Each grape adds a unique component to the wine with Tempranillo contributing the main flavours and ageing potential to the wine; Garnacha adding body and alcohol; Mazuelo adding seasoning flavours and Graciano adding additional aromas.
With Rioja Blanco, Viura is the prominent grape (also known as Macabeo) and is sometimes blended with some Malvesia and Garnacha Blanca. In the white wines the Viura contributes mild fruitness, acidity and some aroma to the blend with Garnacha Blanca adding body and Malvasia adding aroma. Rosados are mostly derived from Garnacha grapes. The 'international varieties' of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have gained some attention and use through experimental plantings by some bodegas but their use has created wines distinctly different from the typical Rioja.
Some of the most sought after grapes come from the limestone/sandstone based 'old vine' vineyards in the Alavesa and Alta regions. These 40 year old plus vines are prized due to their low yields and more concentrated flavours. A unique DO regulation stipulates that the cost of the grapes used to make Rioja must exceed by at least 200% the national average of wine grapes used in all Spanish wines.
VINTAGE CHART
Rioja (Red) Year %
2004 Superb vintage, classic wines Drink or Hold 94
2003 Hot, dry year, long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 91
2002 Smallest vintage in 10 years. Variable quality.
Keep to top names Drink or Hold 87
2001 Excellent year for long ageing Reservas
and Gran Reservas Drink or Hold 94
2000 A generally good vintage with fine Reservas Drink or Hold 89
1999 Smaller vintage of good quality Drink or Hold 88
1998 Good vintage Drink or Hold 97
1997 Unexciting so far, but quaffable Drink or Hold 84
1996 Good year, plenty of ageing potential Drink or Hold 89
1995 Very good vintage, Reservas now showing excellent fruit Drink or Hold 92
1994 Outstanding, some great long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 94
1993 Lesser wines, apart from best-known names Drink 77
1992 Rather light vintage Drink 80
1991 Still improving, average quality Drink or Hold 85
1990 Fairly ordinary but quaffable Drink 84
1989 Good, firm structure Drink 88
Rioja Reserva & Gran Reserva – Vintages of the Eighties Year %
1989 Goodish vintage, well balanced Drink 88
1988 Fairly good vintage, well balanced wines Drink 88
1987 Very attractive vintage, now at peak Drink 90
1986 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1985 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1984 Disappointing, with problem weather Avoid 80
1983 Don't keep it any longer Drink 86
1982 Now past its best Drink 83
1981 Superb wines, finest will keep longer Drink 90
1980 Average vintage, don't keep any longer Drink 86
More vintage charts
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