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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2017 and 2022 (based on 7 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 87.9 pts. and median of 88 pts. in 61 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Eudemis on 9/27/2021: 14% alcohol. G mostly and some Tempranillo. Vey good long dense cork. Medium colour with no sign of ageing.
The nose is rich with ripe dark berries, a bit of zing, and no obvious oak, mercifully. The mouth is similarly satisfying with excellent balance throughout; some sweet sensation at times, but it never outstays its welcome. Whatever oak is used, it is perfectly judged. Vg balancing acidity.
The closest French simile that I can think of is Terrasses du Larzac from a top producer, and I mean this as high praise; in Spanish terms, the wines of Bodega Marañones come to mind.
A super Rioja, and a far cry from the overoaked monstrosities of old.
A repeat purchase certainly. (1670 views) | | | Tasted by Costes76 on 4/9/2021 & rated 89 points: Pretty straightforward and approachable. Juicy candied cherry with chewy gamey notes. Great balance with rounded acidity and soft tannins. Good value fun wine. (1793 views) | | | Tasted by garymiller737@gmail.com on 8/8/2020 & rated 90 points: Drank this one over a casual week night dinner of roast chicken.
Medium ruby in appearence .
Pronounced aromas of cherry, cola and some savory elements. My guess is a lot of Garnacha in the blend as the aroma was reminiscent of the concentrated style of Cotes du Rhone.
Full bodied on the palate with similar flavor characteristic , decent acidity and a medium finish.
This bottle was purchased as a "throw in" to a pandemic wine delivery and punches well above its weight- a pleasant surprise. The wine would have scored a point or two higher if there were not signs of it tiring a bit- so drink up! (2239 views) | | | Tasted by Sbourn on 2/22/2020 & rated 80 points: Flat, no real character. Several comments suggested it was beyond its prime so I’d try again. Had with steak at the cabin. Too much tannin to drink before dinner and really didn’t mellow much after breathing or with dinner. Disappointing. (2375 views) | | | Tasted by aronaz on 12/22/2019 & rated 87 points: It’s what you’d expect for a decent $10 bottle of wine. (2376 views) | | | Tasted by afields on 11/5/2019: Pretty straightforward and mainly about candied strawberry. This is probably about a year past peak and would’ve been better with a little more acid but still feels pretty light and fresh, even a bit minty. Some sweet tobacco on the finish. Recognizably Grenache although cooler and less spicy than you’d expect—*not* recognizably Rioja so don’t buy this if that’s what you’re looking for. ~5.5/10 now likely would have been 6/10 a year or two ago. (1778 views) | | | Tasted by WY Leonidas on 10/31/2019 & rated 84 points: Light red fruits, spicey raspberry. Oaky vanilla with a rusty dirt and green olive. Not a bad rioja. On the lighter side as far as flavor, but medium plus bodied with a glycerol element. Moderately short finish. Kind of wish I drank this earlier. (1632 views) | | | Tasted by maxcantin1 on 7/21/2019 & rated 90 points: Beau produit de la Rioja. Acidité encore tranchante. Les tannins sont fondues et pas trop présent (majorité grenache 85% ce qui est normal) mais le grenache apporte un peu de chauffe avec l'alcool. On a encore beaucoup de fruit, de la cerise à l'eau de vie, un peu de framboise, du bleuet, de la violette et un peu de vanille et de tabac. La longueur et la complexité est remarquable pour le prix. (1720 views) | | | Tasted by Tpairing on 4/14/2019 & rated 88 points: Good cherry, raspberry and savoury toast. Drink now. (1546 views) | | | Tasted by Jackstraw212 on 4/13/2019 & rated 89 points: Drink soon. Kinda going the other way at this point. (1428 views) | | | Tasted by Jackstraw212 on 12/2/2018 & rated 91 points: Lovely violets, black olives, vanilla, and cherries. Very elegant and ready to drink now. Really enjoyed this Grenache. (1997 views) | | | Tasted by PatrickH on 11/18/2018 & rated 86 points: Light, easy drinking red blend that can be a daily driver. Will pick up more. (2038 views) | | | Tasted by daveyk39 on 9/30/2018 & rated 91 points: PNP for this Rioja that's 85% Garnacha and 15% Tempranillo.
Pale Ruby color. Aromas of cherry, oak, dried flowers, compost and black tea. Earthy red fruit on entry, darker fruits in the mid-palate, with a firm, savory, citrus peel finish. (2292 views) | | | Tasted by klg_at_large on 9/23/2018 & rated 88 points: Better than expected Rioja with a great price point. (1990 views) | | | Tasted by whits on 8/14/2018 & rated 90 points: High toned cherry and floral scents, balanced and clean, lively and delicious, strawberry, raspberry, spice, orange peel and mineral hints on the palate, drinking well now, goes down clean, very well made (2278 views) | | | Tasted by Al-r on 6/8/2018 & rated 82 points: No body, no deep color, like a pinot noir. (2122 views) | | | Tasted by im_is_ninja on 5/13/2018 & rated 85 points: Scents of cherries and strawberries on the nose with notes of oak. On the palate it is savory and smoky with a hint of spice on the back end. Light tannins pairs well with food. (2142 views) | | | Tasted by pdev on 4/12/2018 & rated 89 points: Dark cherry, red plum, american oak, dark raspberry. Palate is ripe, vanilla/coconut. Cherry cordial. Nice finish. (1916 views) | | | Tasted by acordell on 3/26/2018: Crafted in a modern style. Fruit-forward with evident oak. (2137 views) | | | Tasted by jmcmchi on 3/1/2018 & rated 88 points: Modern style with garnacha leading
Earthy barnyard nose
Very approachable, firm red fruit with acidity emerging on finish. Very long with well-managed oak touches (1646 views) | | | Tasted by GillesB on 2/14/2018: garnacha rouge, mazuelo, graciano, tempranillo (1808 views) | | | Tasted by Vandi on 12/19/2017 & rated 85 points: Pairs well with the crab pepper poppers at Carmen’s. Light, good with a spicy dish. Brings sweet peppers to the front of the palette. (1899 views) | | | Tasted by r.o.man on 9/12/2017 & rated 91 points: 70% Garnacha, 25% Tempranillo, 5% Mazuelo, single vineyard on the mountain Yerga. Handpicked and fermented in barriques, old and new, french and american. As 2014 was a difficult vintage here, there was no first wine made and the grapes were used in second red Montesa. The wine is dark fruited with still young milky notes, medium body, full mouthfeel. Cherries, blackberries, blueberries, little heat, touch of saline minerality. Needs air and some aging. Better with food. (2865 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 7/3/2017: All French oak. Beautiful cherry and strawberry fruit. Christine notes that its light on its feet. Smoke and savory, really quite good. Works it out at $18 or so. (3285 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 5/19/2017 & rated 88 points: Very light colour, youthful cherry red, lilac rim; the nose opens up nicely to ripe red cherries and strawberries, with a mineral freshness, spices and a hint of cream, good depth; the palate is supple and juicy, quite moreish, soft but fresh, with very light tannins only just preventing it from being too sweet and flabby; the finish displays some back-end heat and feels a bit pinched. Quite a technical wine, attractive but speciously so. Goes well with spicy foods. (3339 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By David Lawrason
WineAlign (8/9/2017)
(Palacios Remondo La Montesa, Doca Rioja red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Michael Godel
WineAlign (8/9/2017)
(Palacios Remondo La Montesa, Doca Rioja red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Szabo, MS
WineAlign (8/8/2017)
(Palacios Remondo La Montesa, Doca Rioja red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (12/1/2016)
(Palacios Remondo Rioja La Montesa, Spain) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign and JamesSuckling.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Palacios Remondo Producer Website
U.S. Importer (addt'l info)Grenache Blend. 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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