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Rioja Reserva wines, where wood turns to velvet

22/09/2020 Winemaking

In many ways, Rioja is synonymous with wine. This Spanish region has given the world some of the most legendary and sought-after wines for any self-respecting wine lover. Rioja wines come in all styles and for all tastes but today we are going to focus on Rioja Reserva wines.

rioja barrels

Rioja is home to more than 600 wineries that have vineyards across the three diverse areas that make up the Qualified Denomination of Origin: La Rioja Alta, La Rioja Alavesa and La Rioja Oriental. There are around 65,000 hectares of plots covered by the DOCa, and these are spread across three different autonomous communities and are cultivated by some 14,000 winegrowers. This is where you will find some of the most legendary wineries in the world. 

Despite its fame and reputation for classic wines, Rioja is always innovating and modernising without leaving behind its well-known quality. This region produces wines that are well-known around the world and can be found in 130 different countries.

How are Rioja wines classified?

The DOCa Regulatory Council states that Rioja wines are to be classified by their origin and aging.

By origin we are talking about wines made in the three aforementioned areas but that state exactly where they come from, which could be any of the following categories: Viñedo Singular,  Vinos de Municipio and Vinos de Zona.

In terms of aging, the same wines could be classified as Generic Wines Crianza Wines Reserva Wines and Gran Reserva Wines.

What are Rioja Reserva wines like?

Rioja wines that are classified as Reserva are carefully selected wines that have aged for a minimum of three years in oak barrels and bottles. These wines must age for at least one year in wood and at least six months in the bottle. The above applies to red wines. White wines must age for two years, with at least six months in an oak barrel.

How do we know what we are drinking?

The DOCa always tries to make the information clear and accessible for all consumers, so every bottle has a particular label according to its category. The Rioja Reserva wine label looks like this:

DO Rioja

What are Rioja Reserva wines like?

It is difficult to define fixed characteristics since wines are living entities that evolve. Their personality is defined by the grapes they are made with, the terroir they come from, the unique aspects of their vintage and the style that each producer is trying to create. Generally speaking, you could say that Reserva wine will have notes of more ripe fruits combined with balsamic aromas, leather, spices and toast that tell us about the time it has spent in the barrel.

Aging is a clear quality of great Rioja wines, which is why you will even find selected wines in this category, because not every wine is good enough to age well or even improve over the years.

Choosing a Rioja Reserva wine opens the door to another dimension. These are more gastronomic and complex wines, with tannic balance and an elegant and velvety mid-palate.

They are well worth trying for yourself. So, here is a selection of great Rioja Reserva wines that offer different styles within the same category so that you can choose the one you would prefer. These wines transcend time, and are great wines to remember. What are you waiting for? Try them now!

4 Rioja Reserva wines you won’t want to miss

Cune Reserve

cvne reserva

With a classic style and made by one of the most deeply-rooted family wineries in the area, Cune Reserva is a wine with a traditional blend and around 24 months of aging, depending on the vintage. It is reasonably priced for the quality and takes us on a trip to La Rioja Alta with all the essence and lineage of Rioja. A wine with good aromatic intensity of forest fruits and aromas of liquorice sheltered by the sweet note from its barrel aging. Pure tradition!

Remelluri Reserva

remelluri reserva

Made in Rioja Alavesa, this wine has a more modern style, with a Riojan blend that includes some white grapes. The plots are ecologically cultivated and Telmo Rodríguez, a leading winemaker, works his magic. In short, this is a Rioja red wine with the soul of a French château that exudes elegance.

Dalmau Reserva

dalmau

Marqués de Murrieta, another great Rioja winery, introduces us to what is perhaps its most rebellious and least conventional wine. A red with its own character where the classic Rioja processes are left behind to make room for a foreign variety, the Cabernet Sauvignon, which appears discreetly in the blend alongside the Tempranillo variety, the unrivalled reigning variety in Rioja. Dalmau is an elegant red wine made with the years of experience behind this renowned winery. This wine is a surprise in every way. A high-flying reserva!

…And finally, a bonus wine

Viña Tondonia Blanco Reserva

tondonia blanco

If you come across this wine, consider yourself lucky and don’t let go of it! Every time a new vintage comes out, it is sold out in an instant. This wine is very unexpected, and a real ‘told you so’ to anyone who says white wines are not capable of aging. A coupage of two varieties that have nothing to envy in Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. We are talking about Malvasia and Viura, two Riojan varieties that go through an extreme aging process to produce this exquisite, almost eternal white Rioja.

Image of the La Rioja Alta winery.

Original on the official website of the winery riojaalta.com

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