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| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.2 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 28 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by ekessler on 11/24/2022: Amazing, excellent wine. Similar experience to that of AQUACONGAS. PNP. Cork soft/wet all through and even lost a bit into the bottle using Durand. Dark (for a Roija), minimal bricking. Sublime. One of the rare old bottles of Rioja without any funk. (1079 views) | | | Tasted by drwine2001 on 11/24/2022: Thanksgiving 2022 (Los Gatos, California): Same bottle as noted by EKessler below. Deep color for its age, a shade darker than a 1996 Grand Cru Burgundy drunk alongside it. Peppery, herbal, black fruit nose. Elegant medium weight. Similar flavors with all elements well meshed but not yet completely resolved. I got the sense that a bottle in this condition could still improve and sweeten with more time-amazing!! (1755 views) | | | Tasted by fclarity on 5/23/2021 & rated 94 points: Tasted blind, this wine had a light red center and tawny rims. Right behind the medium intensity notes of plum, cola, black spices, and vanilla was some reduction and TCA.
In the mouth, this wine was medium bodied with light tannin, solid acidity, and very good length.
I would guess this bottle was about average after factoring out some of the impact of TCA in my score. I believe the issues with this bottle were not due to storage but due to production process problems. Thus, this wine will likely have a unusually high level of variability among bottles (91-97). (2606 views) | | | Tasted by jkwoodward on 5/15/2021 & rated 93 points: Lyon 2021 Birthday Bash; 5/14/2021-5/15/2021 (Bear Creek Woodward/Lyon Den): Birth year wine for my buddy Mark, with many other '61's, this struggled to stand up to the rest. Still good in its own right, notes of tobacco but slightly muted compared to the others. May be bottle variation, but the others just sung. Wouldn't kick it out of be for eating crackers though... (2525 views) | | | Tasted by Grinner on 5/15/2021 & rated 91 points: Hedonism and Refinement at 60!; 5/14/2021-5/15/2021 (Joe and Kyla's Bar and Grill): Again, I would've been very happy if everything this night was this good! No sediment, as expected, this wine was "past brick" in color, someone said! Very mature nose with dried cherries, minerals, spice, dried tobacco, smoke and cedar. Better w/ food, than sipping. (2510 views) | | | Tasted by Paul D on 1/31/2020 & rated 90 points: Iberian Wimps (La Trompette, Chiswick): At last a good bottle of this! Garnet/mahogany. Classic Rioja nose - tobacco, leather. Light/medium bodied, elegant, leather, earth, fig, gentle tannins, balanced acidity, medium/good length finish. Not the longest or most complex but very enjoyable nonetheless. (2765 views) | | | Tasted by aquacongas on 9/25/2019 & rated 98 points: Best Bottle with Zachy's @FFF (Fritz Frau Frazi Düsseldorf): blind, side by side with Aldo conterno Barolo 1961 (blind)
The nose is amazing, red berries, truffles, violet, red berries, still fresh and vivid, perfect acidity and soft Tannins. it is getting better and better. I would never guess Spain, maybe Burgundy and from beginning 90ies. 98 (3181 views) | | | Tasted by Paul D on 6/7/2019 flawed bottle: Hopelessly oxidised. (2005 views) | | | Tasted by forceberry on 12/8/2018 & rated 96 points: Beautiful, luminous and thoroughly translucent cherry red color with aged maroon overtones and a deep ruby core. Very developed, savory and slightly umami nose with aromas of wizened red cherries, some sanguine iron tones, a little bit of dried cranberries, light redcurrant tones, a hint of beef jerky and an earthy yet sweet-toned touch of pipe tobacco. The wine is medium-bodied, quite tertiary and complex on the palate with dry flavors of wizened black cherries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of tobacco, light raisiny tones, a sweeter hint of juicy dark berries and a meaty, umami touch of charred game and beef jerky. The wine is still enjoyably firm and structured with its high acidity and quite modest tannins that still retain some grip. The finish is gently grippy with long, dry and complex flavors of tart dark berries, some salty beef jerky, a little bit of wizened red cherry, light tobacco, an umami hint of soy sauce and a touch of raisin.
A beautiful, complex and so harmonious Rioja Gran Reserva. The wine was tasted alongside Tondonia Gran Reserva 1970, and while both wines felt relatively light in style, this managed to impress more by a small margin. An extraordinary wine and a testament to the aging capabilities of Tondonia Gran Reserva. Pricey at 100€, but I'd say this delivers for the price. (2291 views) | | | Tasted by Lype on 10/12/2018: Quite attractive strawberry marmalade tones, leather, subtle dark aromas, nice balance, some iron lurking at the back but not actually disturbing. Enjoyable. (1636 views) | | | Tasted by Paul D on 3/9/2018 flawed bottle: With Fletcher and Andrew at la Cabotte - alas corked! (2441 views) | | | Tasted by kingkanu on 12/9/2017 & rated 91 points: The Sampler Xmas Icons 2017: Beautiful leather and decaying fruit nose, fully developed but gorgeous, the palate tastes like it’s on a graceful decline and finishes a bit thin and dry, I’m sure with some good this would still work well. (2527 views) | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 11/18/2016 flawed bottle: Bret and perhaps a storage issue as well. (3299 views) | | | Tasted by tooch on 3/18/2014 flawed bottle: Chicago Rotating Dinner Series - March 2014 (Aged Rioja) (Paris Club - Chicago, IL): off bottle (7587 views) | | | Tasted by Los 12 Glotones on 3/5/2014 & rated 93 points: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/12/vina-tondonia-1961-gran-reserva.html
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De color rubí granatoso de capa media-alta, más oscuro que el resto de vinos de la misma época. Tapado, oscuro, sin mucho brillo. Presenta una finísima turbidez y ligeros precipitados en la base de la botella. Ribete atejado, amplio, con marcada diferencia respecto al menisco.
Al abrir nos encontramos con un tinto de media intensidad pero de enorme sutileza, térreo, con todo tipo de aromas otoñales (hojarasca, monte umbrío, trufas, cascarilla de castañas). La reducción es evidente, muy elegante, trayéndonos flores marchitas, cuero ruso, maderas viejas, ahumados, caja de puro y un frágil fondo a frutos maduro (madroños) y especias molidas. Se mantiene en esta línea, sin cambiar, perdiendo potencia con las horas.
Toda esa sutileza la pierde en boca. Compacto, denso, concentrado, con una acidez viva y unos taninos presentes, firmes. Tiene estructura y mucho sabor. A falta de mayor profundidad sí que hay vigor y un chorrazo de vida. Hubiéramos apostado todo a que se trataba de un Tondonia del 64. Quién dijo que en los 60 no se hiceron buenos vinos en los años impares?
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75% tempranillo, 15% garnacho, 5% graciano, 5% mazuelo. 11.5% vol.
Permanece durante 6 meses en depósitos de madera donde acabar de realizar la fermentación maloláctica. Criado entre 9 y 10 años en viejas barricas de roble americano de 225 litros elaboradas por los toneleros de la misma bodega. El vino es sometido a 2 trasiegas manuales cada año. Clarificado con claras de huevo frescas. Embotellado directamente de la barrica. Sin filtrar. En este momento a todas las botellas se les coloca una cápsula de laca en el cuello que es substituida por una nueva cápsula de plomo cuando se procede al etiquetado. Etiquetado especial para el mercado estadounidense. Descansa un mínimo de 44 meses en botellero antes de ser comercializado.
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The palate shows pure sweet red fruit....beet, cherry, strawberry, cherry, spice, earth, violets, sandalwood, soy and minerals....very pretty.
The finish is long and complex....just a notch behind the 1954 CVNE Gran Reserva served alongside. (5993 views) | | | Tasted by Wine Canuck on 2/8/2014 & rated 92 points: Year 2 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does Rioja (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): As I discovered throughout the evening the LdH Tondonia bottlings all have some common themes across all vintages. I found all of them to be fairly volatile a tad rustic and with strong notes of sweat. I like these notes, but that alone doesn't push these wines into the classic spectrum. The nose on this wine was of beetroot, potato skin, cranberry, red cherry, anise, wet wood, and ash. This has more structure and remaining tannin than the '54 CVNE served before it, but it is a tad drying. The nose trailed off on this over time and faded with more air. A good, but not great example. (6224 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 12/8/2012: Eighth Annual White Truffle Dinner (Chez Weber - Chicago IL): Incredibly fresh and energetic for a wine its age, showing almost as much red fruit as great earthy/ forest character. I never would have thought it this old if tasted blind. (3809 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 10/11/2011 & rated 88 points: More Mature Riojas 1961-1998: López de Heredia, Ygay, CUNE, Bodegas Riojanas (Contigo Restaurant, San Francisco, California): Bricking dark red violet color; tobacco, tart currant, cigar box, light reduction nose; cigar box, earthy, tobacco, reduction palate with medium acidity and drying tannins; medium-plus finish (3177 views) | | | Tasted by Papies on 6/21/2011 & rated 86 points: Rioja through the Decades (The Sampler, South Ken, London): Acidity, old style rioja. Some sweetness, some oak notes. Unfortunately this has a bitter acidity on the midpalate that is a bit off putting. Bottle variation? (4497 views) | | | Tasted by Rupert on 5/23/2011: Dinner with López de Heredia wines 1934-1976 (Cambio de Tercio, London SW5): Dusty nose, fresh fruit on the palate, with a nice sweet tone, but it finished abruptly (4600 views) | | | Tasted by Seth Rosenberg on 3/23/2011 & rated 84 points: Again, that light nose of coffee, mocha powder, dried roses. Dusty and a little dry on the palate. Lots of acid and slightly bitter. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0/2 = 12/20. (3645 views) | | | Tasted by JJL on 9/13/2009 & rated 94 points: Spainish Treasures #3 over Lunch at Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain): Second time trying this in 2 days. Similar to yesterday's bottle, but just slightly muted compared to that one. (4766 views) | | | Tasted by JJL on 9/12/2009 & rated 95 points: Spanish Treasures #2 over Lunch at Arzak (San Sebastian, Spain): Peppermint and sweet old-fashion hard candy on the nose. Silky white chocolate on the palate. Long smooth finish. Very nice. (3456 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| The World of Fine Wine, June 2011, Issue #32
(R López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/3/2011)
(López Heredia, Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Rioja Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, September/October 2010, IWC Issue #152
(R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Rioja) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (10/11/2011)
(R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia) Bricking dark red violet color; tobacco, tart currant, cigar box, light reduction nose; cigar box, earthy, tobacco, reduction palate with medium acidity and drying tannins; medium-plus finish 88 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of The World of Fine Wine and JancisRobinson.com and Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| R. López de Heredia 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.Gran ReservaTradition Ascendant in Rioja
By ERIC ASIMOV
August 11, 2009
One of my stops on my recent trip to Spain was Rioja, where I was able to spend quite a bit of time at the venerable winery López de Heredia, which is the focus of my column this week.
As those of you who have been reading this blog for a long time may guess, I’ve had a long love affair with the wines of López de Heredia. In fact, my second post ever was about its wonderful rosado, which, unusually for any wine, let alone a rosé, is generally released when it’s about 10 years old.
It’s almost reflexive when talking about López to describe it as classic or unyielding, because it is quite immune to the trend-following that so often guides decision-making in the world of wine. That is true. But it took me this visit to realize that in its own way, López de Heredia is now a cutting-edge winery.
It’s a case of what goes around comes around, as forward-thinking winemakers have in many ways come around to López de Heredia’s ways of doing things. This is particularly true in the vineyard, where its gentle, natural viticultural approach is now the preferred approach my many of the world’s great producers. In the winery, it’s harder to say, except that Lopez’s gentle handling, reliance on natural yeasts and overall artisanal methods are likewise an ideal today.
Of course, the fact that Lopez uses old barrels, including enormous wooden fermentation vessels that have been around almost as long as the 132-year-old winery itself, leaves a lot of room for debate. Very few producers use barrels that old, though one that comes to mind is Biondi Santi in Montalcino.
Still, styles oscillate over the years, and I believe we are now retreating from an era of overly oaky wines, back to wines where the barrel regimen is as much if not more about imparting texture as it is flavor.
In fact, oaky flavors can be important in López de Heredia wines. All you have to do is taste one of its wonderful older white wines, like the 1991 reserva, to taste the hazelnut, coconut flavors of American oak beautifully integrated with the wine. And if you ever get a chance to taste a rare 1964 white, as I did in Rioja, you will be rewarded with a rich, pure wine tasting almost entirely of minerals.
The strange thing about López de Heredia is that because its wines have never changed, people tend to think of the company as a dour, humorless, rigid sort of place, haunted by the imperative of adhering to tradition. Nothing could be further from the truth.
For instance, while the winery is largely a sturdy example of late 19th century architecture, the new boutique for visitors, designed by the Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, is fully in keeping with the non-linear architectural look of modern Rioja. It was in the boutique that I watched one afternoon as Maria José López de Heredia, along with her sister, Mercedes, and father, Pedro, about to turn 81, regaled tourists with a boisterous Spanish drinking song.
Many people might be surprised, for example, at some of the winery’s plans for tourism. Maria José, who often takes the lead role in public but runs the winery with her sister, father and brother, Julio César, would like to build a little train line to take tourists back and forth between the winery and its most famous vineyard, Viña Tondonia, just across the Ebro River.
“Why not?’’ she said. “It’s very important to teach people, and it’s easier to teach them if you give them a good time.’’
Of course, she has a serious reason as well. “It’s impossible for people to understand the soul of a wine if they don’t know how the grapes are grown,’’ she told me.
For people who do have the opportunity to visit López de Heredia, doubtless the most striking moment is seeing the thousands of bottles of gran reserva wines, aging in a cellar covered in mold and cobwebs. For people who are used to the squeaky clean hygiene of New World cellars (or for somebody like my mother, for example, who did not permit dirt in her kitchen) such a sight might prove troubling.
But the mold and cobwebs are typical of more than a few old Old World cellars, where they are considered an intrinsic part of the terroir. Maria José, for example, insists that the mold and webs are absolutely beneficial to the wines, and that cleaning them out under the mistaken notion of pursuing hygiene would have many unintended consequences.
“It’s protection, not affliction!’’ she said, and I don’t doubt her. Her wines, at least, are paragons of purity.Viña TondoniaJay Miller in WA, June 2010
A visit to the venerable Bodega Lopez de Heredia, located in the Rioja Alta capital of Haro, is akin to entering a time machine taking you back 100 years. Construction of the Bodega began in 1877 and continues without any apparent changes to the present day. The winery is operated by the voluble Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia, her sister Mercedes, and their father Pedro, still active into his 80s. All of the wines are produced from estate grown bush vines. Tondonia and Bosconia are two different vineyards; Bosconia has a larger percentage of Tempranillo and a different orientation. For an excellent overview of the estate, read Eric Asimov’s blog in the New York Times dated August 11, 2009.
Map on weinlagen-infoSpain 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-infoLa Rioja Alta 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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