Celebrate the Wines of Rioja this month at JAK’S as some lucky participants will be winning a Trip for Two to Rioja in April 2022! We also have 5 X $100.00 Gift Cards for giveaways. Contest details and entries can be found on our website: www.jaks.com
Rioja is undoubtably one of the top regions in the world associated quality and cellar potential for some outstanding wines. This worthy wine region sits in a rain shadow very much like Alsace in France or the Okanagan Valley does in BC, allowing for plenty of sunshine days to the ripen grapes. The Rioja region is split up into three subregions – Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental – Rioja Alta is historically recognized as the pinnacle of quality production although winemakers in the Alavesa are gaining repute in the last few years as well. Entry level wines will typically be a blend from all three subregions.
In Rioja, Tempranillo is king with Garnacha (Grenache) following suit as the key red grapes and are almost always blended with the possible addition of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano. Reds make up the largest quantity of production and are most likely to be exported to our shores. Traditionally these wines are aged in American oak, although shifting tastes of both consumers and winemakers are seeing more French casks employed in the cellar.
Rioja also makes delightfully ripe white wines with Viura (Macabeo), Garnacha Blanca, Malvasía Riojano and Maturana making up the largest plantings. White blends in the region can include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Tempranillo Blanc, and Verdejo.
The trick to understanding Rioja is in the labels– specifically on how it relates to
aging. The main terms to know are Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva. Seeing these on the bottle will instantly tell you that the wine will have been aged for a specific minimum amount of time in oak casks followed by additional aging in bottle prior to release. This is the biggest tell when it comes to knowing the style of the wine in the bottle. For ease of reference, this chart below lays out the minimum aging requirements:
For styles, we’ll start with Crianza which is a fantastic value category that lends oak character to the wine while giving the grapes a bigger voice.
Faustino Art Series Crianza - $21.99
Bodegas Faustino commits additional time in American oak (15 months) and less time aging in bottle, an impressive aging program to value given the cost of oak barrels! Here you will find notes of red cherry and plum with baking spice, vanilla and a touch of
coconut. This is a wine built for pork roasts or chicken dishes with rich pan sauces.
Moving on to the Reserva category, there are two examples in store right now that bear distinction for very different reasons.
CVNE Imperial Rioja Reserva - on sale till the end of December for $54.98
This estate that has been in the same family since 1879! This is Reserva is a fantastic introduction to the category as the gentle handling of grapes and use of both French and American oak leads to a finished wine with elegance and power. Here the oak character will shine through a little bit more with baking spice and vanilla at the forefront while the cherry and plum note follow with some signs of age – namely sweet tobacco and leather. Although drinking well now, this wine can age for quite a while yet!
The other Reserva of note is:
Lopez de Heredia Viña Bosconia Reserva - $64.99
This winery is important for two reasons: first, they are one of very few examples of Rioja wineries that offer bottlings from a single vineyard site and second, the winery holds back release on their wines until they think they are ready to drink. This beautiful 2008 is their most current available vintage! For anyone wanting to try wines drinking at their peak this wine is a must try and a great example of how fruit and oak flavours will develop and integrate over time. Leather and tobacco carry onto a long finish. With both wines, think lamb, beef or game meats and just revel!
*Dietary Note – Heredia uses a very traditional filtering technique that uses egg whites. Please do not consume if you are Vegan or have allergies to Egg.
Palacios Remondo La Montesa - $37.99
This wine uses 95% Garnacha in their bottling sourced from vines over 30 years old and aged for 12 months in barrel. Garnacha brings another style to the table with juicy cherry, raspberry and strawberry notes to compliment the wood spice and touch of dry herbs. It has a great finish and will go beautifully with roast duck.
Finally, we can’t forget the blanco wines! Back to the CVNE for their Monopole Rioja Blanco produced mainly from Viura grapes. Aromas and flavours include a slight honeysuckle floral note with ripe apple, pear, and citrus with a dry mineral finish. Unoaked, drink in its youth and pair with fish and seafood dishes.
The holidays are the perfect time of year to delve into regions like Rioja and I hope that you enjoy some of the wines in this brief snapshot of the region. If you want to learn more, Wines of Rioja also has a fantastic website at riojawine.com complete with producer profiles, vintage notes, and current news from the region.
Happy sips everybody!
About the Author
Andrew Forsyth is a sommelier at L’abattoir Restaurant in Vancouver who also moonlights at JAK’s South Granville location. He currently holds the title of Sommelier of the Year from Wines of British Columbia and is working towards his Advanced Sommelier designation.