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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2010 and 2014 (based on 39 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 87.6 pts. and median of 88 pts. in 498 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Deux Chevaux on 3/7/2020: Three years after our prior, and our last: this has exceeded expectations. Earthy and lovely over three nights. (1807 views) | | | Tasted by owr on 9/2/2017 & rated 88 points: You gotta love how well Spanish wines age, and this LAN is a delight for those who like 'em aged: smoky, cedar, spiced-raspberry, balsamic-strawberry, and cinnamon all come out in this 11 year old wine. (2106 views) | | | Tasted by Deux Chevaux on 3/3/2017: Medium ruby. Earthy, savory, complex, and holding well. (5243 views) | | | Tasted by Janstan on 7/3/2015 & rated 89 points: Had with marinated London Broil. Very good pairing. Decanted for 1 1/4 hours. (9141 views) | | | Tasted by RKBergman on 12/25/2014 & rated 88 points: Nose: Black berries, cherries and licorice with hints of black currants and tobacco
Color: Ruby to Purple hue
Palate: Cherries, raspberries with hints of wet stone and some smokiness
Finish: Medium body wine with nicely balanced acidity and medium tannins, with high alcohol
Thoughts: This wine has aged well and still has lots of flexibility and will be something we keep on our cellar. (10155 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 11/16/2014 & rated 88 points: I earlier expressed a view that the opinion of the pro reviewers that the back end drink year for this wine was 2013 was incorrect. I changed my back end year to 2015. This was my last bottle. It was fine, but is finally beginning to fade. Drink up. (9390 views) | | | Tasted by SadEdjo on 10/17/2014 & rated 89 points: Youthful, ruby. Intense & lively red fruit with a hint of fresh vanilla on nose and entry. Glyceric mouth-feel. Long finish. New world style. Excellent QPR. (9261 views) | | | Tasted by RKBergman on 8/10/2014 & rated 88 points: Same as previous tasting notes done on this wine. (6721 views) | | | Tasted by owr on 7/30/2014 & rated 89 points: aged beautiful this light red had aromas of dried raspberry, plum, Christmas spice, spiced cherry, and a subtle cedar underlay ... Flavours proved just as exciting: spiced cherry, anise, white peppered plum, a pure pleasure both smells and tastes; the best part: it hardly shows its age. (3483 views) | | | Tasted by Janstan on 6/11/2014 & rated 85 points: Okprobably make a good cooking wine, much better the 2cnd day. Probably deserves better than 85 because of that, will hold last bottle for 2 more years (2846 views) | | | Tasted by bechi on 2/15/2014 & rated 86 points: Thin, watery, over the hill. Should have drunk this earlier. (3695 views) | | | Tasted by jadekeyser on 2/9/2014 & rated 89 points: Fresh red cherry up front going to cedar box and finally to leather. This has held up extraordinarily well. It has thinned some but was still has a great presence. (3396 views) | | | Tasted by wtianseter on 1/31/2014 & rated 87 points: Deep dark blue-purple. The nose is fruit and oak. The flavor is not complex but is nicely balanced blackberry and plum with oak and a touch of smoke. The finish was fruity and smooth lightly dry tannin. Its a pleasant drinker. (3236 views) | | | Tasted by spencermerrell@gmail.com on 11/30/2013 & rated 70 points: Blah.... My impression on the nose was that this was still worth drinking, however, tasting it resulting in a double take where I had to make sure I has the wine glass in my hand. Taste was dull, as if water-downed 2:1. Drink soon (not expecting much) or pour is my recommendation at this point. (3792 views) | | | Tasted by Basicallyjones on 8/24/2013 & rated 85 points: On its way out...if you have any, drink now. Good enough, but starting to unravel. (4923 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 8/11/2013 & rated 88 points: Great PQR. Not over the hill, but the wine is soft with few tannins left. Still lots of fruit alive. Not as earth as many wines from this region......a little more elegant. I disagree with views that 2013 is the last drink year, but would drink up over the next couple of years. Another recent reviewer expressed a very similar opinion. (4018 views) | | | Tasted by RussK on 7/27/2013 & rated 87 points: Ruusk (3941 views) | | | Tasted by sleepyhaus on 7/6/2013: Not at all past prime, drinking correctly. Decent, if a bit too modern and anonymous. Not my choice of crianza but it was a decent drink and fair value. (4284 views) | | | Tasted by tenor12bucks on 6/12/2013 & rated 88 points: Good party quaffer. Balanced, sufficient fruit, doesn't hit you over the head with logs of oak. (2607 views) | | | Tasted by eniskonuk on 5/28/2013 & rated 90 points: - Garnet color and has flavours of raspberry and strawberry with a medium body. Round texture with a medium finish. (2702 views) | | | Tasted by joet626 on 5/25/2013 & rated 88 points: Very dry without much flavor. Could have been better with fodo but nothing special (2419 views) | | | Tasted by Night Thief on 5/22/2013 & rated 87 points: Decent Crianza. Not bad for 12 bucks. Somehwhat muted flavors. Good tannins. Overall, nothing special. (2292 views) | | | Tasted by ey1294 on 4/21/2013 & rated 89 points: - Garnet color and aromas of raspberry and oak. It's balanced and has flavours of raspberry, cherry and black pepper with a light/medium body. Round texture with a long finish. (2919 views) | | | Tasted by eniskonuk on 4/1/2013 & rated 90 points: - Ruby color and has flavours of raspberry and black pepper. (2813 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 3/21/2013: The attention to oak is critical here. Savory here, light body on the mid palate, and yes, the oak shows through. Not in a bad way, but it is right there. Tasty wine, if lacking in personality. But clean, well made, straight ahead. (3189 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By David Lawrason
WineAlign (3/2/2011)
(Bodegas Lan Crianza, Doca Rioja red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Szabo, MS
WineAlign (2/23/2011)
(Bodegas Lan Crianza, Doca Rioja red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (5/2/2011)
(Bodegas LAN Rioja Crianza) Smoky, tart berry nose; light-medium bodied, smoky, tart black fruit palate; needs 1 year; medium finish 88 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Bodegas LAN Producer website
A U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)
A U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)2006 Bodegas LAN Rioja CrianzaGrape varieties: 100% Tempranilio.
Winemaking: Elaborated with grapes coming from selected vineyards located at Rioja Alta area. Fermentation of destemmed grapes in stainless steel tanks. Maceration for 15 days with continuous pumping over in order to achieve a good extraction of colour.
Ageing: In American and French oak barrels for at least 12 months, followed by several months in the bottle.
Tasting notes: Brilliant red cherry with violet hues. Elegant ageing aromas with fruity notes. It develops a good balance at the palate coming from the sweet and elegant tannins.
Serving suggestions: Cold starters, pasta, cheeses. Perfect as wine by glass
Serve at 16° 18° C (60-64° F).Tempranillo Varietal character (Appellation America) | TAPAS: Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society
Tempranillo is the premium red wine grape variety from the Rioja and Ribera del Duero region in Spain. Tempranillo's aromas and flavors often combine elements of berryish fruit, herbaceousness, and an earthy-leathery minerality. Being low in acidity and sugar content, it is commonly blended with Carignan (Mazuela), Grenache (Garnacha), Graciano, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
WineAccess
The varietal is at its best in top Riojas, where oak aging is employed to generate increased complexity and harmony. From the best sites, these wines can be remarkably concentrated with great aging potential. New wines from this region are darker, and more robust, with more dynamic primary fruit flavors than traditionally styled examples. These wines seem to reflect the influence of Spain's other key region for Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero. Regardless of style, Riojas tend to be medium bodied wines, with more acid than tannins. These wines generally feature Tempranillo blended with Garancha, Mazuelo, and Graciano. For these wines, there are three quality levels, which will appear on the label. Everyday drinking wines fall under the category of "Crianza", "Reserva" denotes more complex and concentrated wines, and "Gran Reserva" refers to the most intense wines, made only in the best years.
The same labeling scheme applies to wines from Ribera del Duero, which, like Rioja, is dominated by Tempranillo and shares similar blending grapes. Again, Ribera del Duero wines are generally darker and more powerful than the most traditional Riojas. These wines also generally see less oak treatment than Riojas. From Rioja, we like wines from Allende, Marqués de Cáceres, Montecillo, and Cune. In Ribera del Duero, consider Dominio de Pingus, Emilio Moro, Convento San Francisco, and Pesquera.
Pair older-style Rioja with simple meats like chicken, leg of lamb, and pork loin. However, the newer style of Rioja and Ribera del Duero works especially well with bolder meat dishes or an aged Spanish cheese like Manchego or Idiazabal. 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-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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