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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.4 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 23 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by quaffnov on 9/17/2022 & rated 91 points: Multi hour decant, this started off a little tannic but airtime remedied that. The nose and palate are balanced and well proportioned, with a good statement of fruit with a full bodied mouthfeel. Oaked to the right level, this is a smooth drinking bottle that is worth pursuing. (537 views) | | | Tasted by Madera16 on 5/10/2022: Wow, this was excellent. Outclassed the ‘10 Bosconia next to it, though it’s not a fair comparison since the cabernet in this wine exerts such a strong influence, which is way more obvious on the second day. On day two, it drinks like elegant left bank Bordeaux. I’m hoping JJ’s has another bottle so I can hold it for several years, because this has everything it needs to go the long haul. (761 views) | | | Tasted by Du Paepe et Le Clercq on 2/16/2021 & rated 93 points: Barón de Chirel Reserva 2010 has a complex nose with balsamic, hints of leather, blackberry, tobacco and roasted coffee. The taste is rich, deep, smoked and smooth with a long full bodied sensations thanks to the excellent tannin ripeness. Impressed, wonderfull! (1588 views) | | | Tasted by Rsokane on 11/3/2020 & rated 89 points: Meh. Not super impressed. Smooth and very fruit forward. But not particularly full bodied and doesn’t have the tannin to balance out the fruit. A little spice, though, which helps the complexity. (1687 views) | | | Tasted by RussK on 5/27/2019 & rated 92 points: Russk. Wine Spectator grand tour. Earthy. (2352 views) | | | Tasted by km5 on 11/18/2018: Very nice. Rich.good tartness (2227 views) | | | Tasted by PSPatrick on 4/24/2018 & rated 92 points: WS Grand Tour 2018, New York. Red fruit, spices and pleasant vegetal notes on the nose. Red and dark fruit, chocolate, coffee, spices, tobacco and vegetal notes on the palate, with medium-level acidity, dusty tannin and superb length. Good complexity, balance and concentration. A very good wine! 92+ for now. (2713 views) | | | Tasted by Papies on 1/5/2018 & rated 92 points: Decanted and served and well enjoyed over a good hour.
Mostly Tempranillo but made in a French way with the use of barriques we believe ( definitely felt like it) with definitely more care and selection than the MdR wines. Modern but good modern. Dark fruited, light tobacco, herby notes, chocolate feel and this has definitely seen a lot of new French oak however at this stage it's well integrated and adds to the wine and gives it its style. Well round, silky tannin, big wine but in now way heavy. Very good and a well worthy 92 (2401 views) | | | Tasted by Genghis88 on 10/8/2017 & rated 91 points: Drank over two nights
Deep, dark purple, full bodied wine
Some classic Rioja traits on the nose. Some dry, woody earthiness
Drinks much more modern. Good acidity, fruit is prevalent.
Some black licorice.
Nicely balanced. This will mature nicely in the years to come.
Smoked a Sobremesa Imperial (2278 views) | | | Tasted by String on 7/8/2017 & rated 91 points: Very smooth. Tasted at Ajay's. (2072 views) | | | Tasted by The years of the grape on 3/15/2017 & rated 93 points: 80% Tempranillo and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 20 months in new french oak. Modern style Rioja.
First impression is toast and coffee, than dark cherries, crushed blackberries and spice. There is also an ethereal, balsamic quality which shows better in the mouth. This is a very intense wine, full body, but still showing a good acidity. Long finish.
I am looking forward to taste it again in 5-10 years: added complexity from bottle ageing will make it much more engaging. (2082 views) | | | Tasted by franinnyc on 9/18/2016 & rated 91 points: Really nice. Medium bodied. Smooth tannins. Earthy licorice. (2038 views) | | | Tasted by perisolb on 3/6/2016: Mørk farge. Trevirke, vanilje, krydder, lakris og litt rød frukt på duft. Medium minus syre, en litt anelse sødme, integrerte tanniner. Deilig rik fruktaroma mot bjørnebær. Lakris og krydder. Deilig vin! (2249 views) |
| By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (10/3/2022)
(Marqués de Riscal Rioja Barón de Chirel Reserva, Spain) Subscribe to see review text. | By Ferran Centelles
JancisRobinson.com (9/27/2022)
(Marqués de Riscal, Barón de Chirel Reserva Rioja Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, Rioja: The Past Is Always Present (Apr 2021) (4/1/2021)
(Marqués de Riscal Baron de Chirel Reserva Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Tom Cannavan
Decanter, Spanish Marqueses (10/1/2019)
(Marqués de Riscal, Barón de Chirel Reserva, Rioja, Spain, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Panel Tasting
Decanter, Rioja 2010 PT March 2019 (11/26/2018)
(Marqués de Riscal, Baron de Chirel Reserva, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Ferran Centelles
JancisRobinson.com (3/19/2014)
(Marqués de Riscal, Baron de Chirel Reserva Rioja Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Luis Gutiérrez
JancisRobinson.com (4/9/2013)
(Marqués de Riscal, Baron de Chirel Reserva Rioja Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JamesSuckling.com and JancisRobinson.com and Vinous and Decanter. (manage subscription channels) |
| Marqués de Riscal Producer websiteMarqués de Riscal Rioja Baron de Chirel ReservaMarqués de Riscal Reserva is one of the most famous wines in Spain, due to its long history, consistent high quality and also for the many literary references it has inspired over the years.
Very versatile and a faithful example of a Rioja wine, Marqués de Riscal Reserva has been enjoyed for generations by wine lovers all over the world, and praised by celebrities from the world of the arts and culture such as Ernest Hemingway, Salvador Dalí or Frederick Forsyth.
Famous for its bottle wrapped in a metallic gold mesh, today it can be found in over 100 countries, and it is regarded as a benchmark for Rioja red wines. This wine stands for the dreams of the previous generations at Marqués de Riscal.
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-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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