CONTINO Reserva 2015 Rioja Spain
by ©LeDomduVin 2020

CONTINO Reserva 2015 Rioja Spain

During the weekend, I was making home-made Mac and Cheese for the kids, while drinking one of my favourite Rioja wines, "CONTINO", Reserva 2015, made by Jesús Madrazo, a great man and a very talented winemaker, whom I met a few times at the winery, at Contino, while I was working in NYC back in the mid-2000s. 

Thank you for your wines, Jesus, this Contino Reserva 2015 is fantastic! Love it.

CONTINO Reserva 2015 Rioja Spain 
by ©LeDomduVin 2020

For those who might be interested, I wrote a post on my blog about CONTINO and Jesus Madrazo, back in 2009, after a visit to the winery with my little family, where, after doing a tour of the winery guided by the man himself,  Jesus invited us to have lunch with him in the garden facing the vineyard with the old Olive tree (Viña del Olivo). 

It will always remain as a great, sweet memory. It was a nice and hot day. We sat at a table dressed in the cool shade of the trees facing the winery. Walking barefoot on the grass. My son was about to be 3 years old. The atmosphere was serene and relaxed. We were all smiles. The wines were delicious and the local food we ate that day was simple, fresh and refreshing, and so tasty, consisting of some tapas made with the traditional Iberico Ham among other succulent ingredients, like dried tomatoes and eggs, and other meat and vegetables served with tender bread,  local Aceite de Oliva (olive oil), Aceto Balsámico (balsamic vinegar) and natural coarse sea salt. It reflected the Spanish life as I had always pictured it. I could have settled there and lived the rest of my life there. Read it here. 

CONTINO Reserva 2015 Rioja Spain 
by ©LeDomduVin 2020

For those who may not know CONTINO, here is a brief recap: 

Map Courtesy of https://www.origins.wine/rioja  
edited for and by ©LeDomduVin 2020

Viñedos del Contino

CONTINO is made at Viñedos del Contino, a small 16th-century boutique winery located in Laserna, south-east of Laguardia, a few kilometres north-west of Logroño, in the Rioja Alavesa sub-region, part of the Basque country (see map above, courtesy of https://www.origins.wine/rioja). (1)

Based on the concept of producing wine from a single vineyard (understand undivided, one plot surrounding the winery, only subdivided into small parcels), and thus, referred to (or considered) as the first Rioja "Château", Contino, was born in 1973, from the partnership of the Pérez Villota family, owners of Finca San Rafael (Rioja Alavesa) and a group of Cvne directors led by Jose A. Madrazo and Real de Asúa. Since the end of 2013, the CVNE group has owned 95% of the company. (2) 

Vinedos del Contino - Map Courtesy of www.google.com Map
edited by and for ©LeDomduVin 2020

With a history dating back from the 16th century and a logo portraying Saint-Gregory, protector of the vineyards, Contino encompasses about 62 hectares of vineyards, all in one plot surrounding the winery, in Laserna, a small area niched in one of the curves of the Ebro river, in the southern district of Laguardia (see map above and below).  

Vinedos del Contino - Map Courtesy of Google Map -
edited by and for ©LeDomduVin 2020

Planted mainly with Tempranillo and Graciano (as well as some Garnacha and Viura, and a tiny amount of Garnacha Blanc and Malvasia), on rich pebble soils along the northern bank of the Ebro river, the vineyards are protected by both the river's bend surrounding most of the vineyards (from north to south, and to the west) and a hill called "Cerro de la Mesa" (Table Hill) (to the east, northeast), which gives this land a very characteristic orientation and microclimate, benefitting of western and south-western sun exposure, ideal for the ripeness of the grapes, and gentle slopes facilitating the natural drainage (see map above).   

At Viñedos del Contino, both the vineyard management and vinification combine both tradition and innovation. The grapes are hand-harvested, by parcels (or lots if you prefer), then transported in small crates along the short paths leading to the winery, to prevent from damaging the grapes, where they are then carefully sorted on a sorting table, prior to being placed into individual small fermentation tanks, in the rather modern vinification cellar.    

The production of each of the estate´s lots is placed in individual limited capacity fermentation tanks, where fermentation is adapted depending on the characteristics of the grapes and the lots they come from. Understand that the grapes growing closer to the river and the ones growing on the top of slopes closer to the winery, are not necessarily the same varieties and do not grow on the same terroir (soil, subsoil, environment, micro-climate, external factors, etc...), and, thus, require specific needs and cannot be vinified the same way. 

In turn, the wines from the various lots and from the various grape varieties are then aged separately, between 18 to 24 months, in both French and American oak barrels (old and new) from various coopers (of various toasting too), resting in the original 16th-century old cellar, which provides the most ideal and constant temperatures and humidity all year round.      

CONTINO Reserva 2015 Rioja Spain 
by ©LeDomduVin 2020

The resulting wines produced at CONTINO, all combine traditional Rioja style with a modern twist, offering generous fruit and elegance, richness and complexity, as well as texture and structure, and are considered as some of the best Riojas. 

The terroir and grape variety of the various parcels are carefully considered and play an important role in the vineyard management and winemaking process. The individualised grape variety and parcels harvesting system allows for perfect control of the evolution and maturity of the grape varieties in the vineyards, but also within the various resulting wines throughout the whole vinification and ageing process, facilitating the blending process at the end, when required for some of the wines. 

The perfect combination of soils, Atlantic-Mediterranean climate combined with the refined and adapted vinification techniques have made Contino, more than 30 years after the first vintage, a staple of the Rioja Alavesa region, an essential classic amongst its peers and beyond, and a name widely recognized around the world.

CONTINO Reserva 2015 Rioja Spain 
by ©LeDomduVin 2020

CONTINO produces various wines including this "Reserva", which is considered as their flagship wine, as well as micro-cuvées, that are considered as "Garage wines", which are, thus, even better, yet only available in small quantities, making them even more valuable. 

Understandably, note that some of these wines are not produced every vintage, depending on the quality of the vintage first, but also depending on the laws that govern the Rioja Appellation and overall wine region (e.g. in term of "Gran Reserva", for example, and the single grape variety wines too, like 100% Graciano and the 100% Garnacha). 

Go to CVNE website to see more details about the wines produced by CONTINO, here, or click on the following wines to see their respective technical sheets of the last vintages I personally tasted (courtesy of CVNE) for more details:  

• CONTINO Reserva 2015
• CONTINO Gran Reserva 2007
• CONTINO Graciano 2009
• CONTINO Garnacha 2010
• CONTINO Viña del Olivo 2010
• CONTINO White (Viura, Garnacha Blanc and Malvasia... never tasted)

CONTINO was the first winery in Rioja to produce a single varietal wine with Graciano, a grape variety typically used in blend due to its tendency of being rustic, austere and herbaceous, when not ripped enough, and therefore usually complicated on its own. Yet, tremendously lively, long-lasting and giving very satisfying result when fully matured and vinified the right way, allowing to bottle it as a single variety wine. 

Since then, it inspired many other wineries in Rioja (and other Spanish wine Appellations and regions) to follow in the footsteps of CONTINO by also making 100% Graciano wines (i.e. Príncipe de Viana, Viña Pomal, Viña Zorzal, etc...)  

CONTINO Reserva 2015 Rioja Spain 
by ©LeDomduVin 2020

As I said at the beginning of this post, I had the pleasure and the privilege to know and spend some times, at the winery, with Jesús Madrazo, the son of Jose A. Madrazo, one of the CONTINO project's founders, while visiting the winery a bunch of times, back in the mid-2000s. And I have heard that an Aragonese producer and consultant, named Jorge Navascués, took over in 2017.

So, once again, Jesús, wherever you are now, muchas gracias for this particular wine, CONTINO Reserva 2015, which was one of your latest vintages at the winery. It is a fantastic wine that has a lot of potential to become an even much better wine with time and care. A truly enjoyable wine for the taste buds.  

Thank you Jesús for your wines and the memories they trigger every time I drink them. And good luck in your current endeavours. Hoping you're not too affected by the current situation in your native Spain. 

¡Hasta la próxima! ¡Hasta luego!  

Thank you for reading my post, 

And until next time, be and stay safe, respect the social distancing, wear a mask and take good care of yourselves and your loved ones. 

And, as it is the new year soon, I wish you All, all the best for the New Year to come (2021), hoping that it will be much better, happier, safer and healthier than this past year (2020), for all of you. 

Personally, I cannot wait for 2020 to be over and for the new year to begin.   

Cheers! Santé!

LeDomduVin (a.k.a. Dominique Noël)

Sources and Links 

(1) Map of the Riojas partly or entirely taken from and edited for this post courtesy of https://www.origins.wine/rioja

(2) Info partly or entirely taken from and edited for this post courtesy of https://www.spanishwinelover.com/16-winerie-vinedos-del-contino-

(3) Info partly or entirely taken from and edited for this post courtesy of https://www.cvne.com/en/tp-bodega/contino/

#macandcheese #homemade #homemadefood #contino #rioja #reserva #spain #jesusmadrazo #cvne @cvnevino #ledomduvin @ledomduvin #lesphotosadom #loverioja #lesselectionsadom #wine #vin #vino #wein

Unless specified or notified otherwise, ALL the above, including, but not limited to, illustrations, drawings, pictures, photos, tables, graphs and texts, etc... property of  ©LeDomduVin 2020 

FYI: Thank you for crediting me on any materials or texts included in this post that you might use.

2001 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva Ollauri Spain

2001 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva Ollauri Spain 

Bodegas Beronia is located in the village of Ollauri, about 5 kilometers south of Haro and about 10 kilometers west of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, in the Rioja Alta part of La Rioja.

In the third century BC, the “Berones” inhabited La Rioja, hence the name of "Beronia", named after them. This tempered part of Spain occupied by the “Berones” was found to be ideal for vine cultivation; as a result, La Rioja has since then proved to be one of the country's best and most consistent wine producing regions.

Founded in 1973 by a group of friends, Beronia was rapidely considered as a winery of reference, as it produced, from the beginning, classic Reserva and Grand Reserva wines using the purest and most traditional methods of Rioja.

Exceeding all expectations, Bodegas Beronia partnered with González Byass in 1982 to perfect the development of both projects. Since then, the sales and success of Beronia have been excellent in both national and international markets.

Beronia’s history and philosophy is based on two fundamental values: tradition and quality. Both concepts have allowed Beronia to produce constantly superior wines from the entry level to the special cuvées. All of which are exported to more than 70 countries worldwide.

In terms of Terroir, Bodegas Beronia is located in the Rioja Alta area, which corresponds to the northwestern part of La Rioja region. This particular area possesses mainly calcareous-clay soil and most vineyards are planted on average at an altitude of 600 meters (ASL). These two main factors allow for good drainage and enough retained moisture in the soil for the vines, but also cooler temperature at night due to the elevation, which is ideal to slow down the ripening process, consequently obtaining perfect ripeness.

The area’s climatic conditions should mostly be influenced by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, however, the Cantabria and Demanda mountain ranges act as a natural protection, forming like an amphitheater, which somewhat shelter the sunbathed hilly Rioja vineyards. The region also benefits of the Ebro River, which creates series of various microclimates throughout the 3 Riojas (Alta, Alavesa and Baja) and provides much needed water for the vines.

Closed to Haro and San Vicente de la Sonsierra, respectively the capital of La Rioja Alta and the most charming and renowned hilltop postcard village of La Rioja, Bodegas Beronia's location is considered to be a truly unique place for the creation of wines of high quality. The medieval city of Haro itself is home to some of the best and most notorious wineries of La Rioja. "Barrio de la Estacion", Haro's train station neighborhood complex, which originated in 1877, still encompasses wineries with some of the oldest Calado in La Rioja (deep underground caves carved in the calcareous hill used for the ageing and storage of the wines). To the north of the Estacion, the oldest of the remaining wineries are: Bodegas Lopez de Heredia "Tondonia" with its Calado dating back from 1892; "Bilbainas" and "Roda". Also within the train station neighborhood, but to the south of the previous wineries, with semi-underground Calados, reside "La Rioja Alta", "Gomez Cruzado", "CVNE" and "Muga". Most wineries, located near the Barrio de la Estacion (the train station quarter), were built in this area to faciliate the transportation of wine.

Beronia's winery is surrounded by 10 hectares of vineyards that are more than 60 years old. To complement the original holdings, now behind the winery, resides a new estate of 25 hectares. In addition, the technical team at Beronia control about 700 hectares of vineyards situated within a 10km radius of the winery.

The grape varieties used in Beronia are all the ones authorised by the Appellation of Origin of Rioja, which include Tempranillo (90%), Graciano (3%), Mazuelo (3%) and Viura (4%). The majority of the grapes come from contracts with about 150 vine-growers, but also other long term contracts and year round cooperation with all of them.

As I just mentioned, all the grapes used at Beronia come from the immediate surrounding vineyards around the estate but also from various vineyards within a 10 kilometers radius of the cellars, ensuring that only the highest quality grapes enter the winery and that transport of the grapes between the vineyards and the winery occurs as fast as possible to preserve the quality of the fruit. A close relationship is maintained with these 150 vine-growers who supply the grapes, guaranteeing that only the best quality grapes are selected and that the process is done so in the most natural way.

Beronia's technical experts frequently visit the estates throughout the year ensure that the use of fertilizers and chemicals are kept to a minimum, so as not to threaten the health or quality of the grape. It is their priority to maintain healthy and high quality grapes.  Beronia, true to its tradition, produces a classic line of fine and well-balanced wines: Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva. In addition to these, two white wines are also produced, a young Viura and a barrel fermented Viura.

They also preserve their innovative and avant-gardist attitude with an interesting range of single variety wines, special production Tempranillo and Beronia Mazuelo Reserva, making them the only winery in Rioja to produce a Reserva wine from the Mazuelo grape.

The harvest usually takes place from the end of September until the middle of October. All grapes used in the production of the wines at Beronia are obtained from specially chosen vineyards in the high and low areas of La Rioja Alta, to mix grapes of various degrees of ripeness and Terroir of origin to add complexity to the final desired blend.

95% of the wines produced at Beronia are red wines, which are aged over a long period of time in American oak barrels. A select number of barrels, used for the best wines, are mixed wood, with the cover made of French oak and the staves of American oak.

Bodegas Beronia has a total production of 500.000 cases of 12 bottles (9 liters per case) with over 2.750.000 bottles in stock and houses 28.000 oak casks (American, French and mixed) with an average age of 4 years, after which the barrels are sold and rotated with new ones.


The wines produced by Bodegas Beronia include:

• Beronia Viura  
• Beronia Viura Barrel Fermented  
• Beronia Tempranillo Special Production  
• Beronia Mazuelo Reserva  
• Beronia Crianza  
• Beronia Reserva  
• Beronia Gran Reserva  
• Beronia III a.C.   

The wine maker Matías Calleja, has worked as the technical director of the bodega for more than 20 years. He has more than 25 years of experience in producing and ageing quality wines from La Rioja.

Last year Matías launched his latest creation: III AC, a tribute to the first inhabitants of La Rioja. A unique wine made with selected grape varieties Tempranillo,  Graciano  and  Mazuelo  from  old vineyards. This is then aged in American, French and Bulgarian oak casks. The result is a superb and complex wine.

2001 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva Ollauri Spain 
Suggested retail $23-$26 
Imported by Wildman in NYC

Talking about superb wine, for a guy like me who is a Spanish wines aficionado, the 2001 Gran Reserva is an excellent example of the quality of this exceptional vintage in Rioja, more especially at under $30, it is a steal.

Made out of roughly 92% Tempranillo 4% Carignan and 4% Graciano, and only after a careful selection of the grapes and a long fermentation, the 2001 Beronia Gran Reserva was aged for 24 months in American-French oak barrels, to be bottled in 2005, and remained in the cellar for a few more years before release.

Note by the way that La Rioja wines are the only wines in the world to be aged at the property for that long (3 years minimum for a Reserva - 2 years in barrels + 1 year in bottles - and 5 years minimum for a Gran Reserva - 2 to 3 years in barrels and the remaining in bottles) and to be released on the market only when the winemaker decide so and the wine is ready. Which is quite amazing, when you think how labor intensive and about how much it must cost them to store these wines for years.  

However, as I was saying earlier, I’m a big fan of the 2001 vintage and old Rioja wines in general and I wasn’t disappointed at all by this wine. Quite classic in fact. Red cherry color with garnet and ochre reflects on the rim. The nose boasts complex and elegant ripe fruit and oaky chocolate aromas intermingled with notes of sweet spices like nutmeg and cloves, and some underbrush and balsamic hints. Framed by soft and integrated sweet woody tannins, the palate is broad, rich, ample and well structured, with complex nuances of ripe fruit, chocolate, spices and licorice. The long finish is harmonious and agreeably persistent. When I think Rioja wines, I usually think about "Chuletas Asado"de Porcino y de Cordero (grilled lamb and pork chops), served with local mushrooms and grilled or roasted vegetables.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited and translated from the winery website at  http://www.beronia.es

And, not that it matters for this post, but when I think Ribera del Duero, I think about "Salones Nazareno", better known as "El Nazareno", a restaurant located in the village of Roa, northeastern part of Ribera del Duero, serving the best "Lechazo"I have ever tasted. I have eaten there each time I went to visit wineries in Ribera del Duero, and each time I was amazed and extremely satisfied.

Well known from the local winemakers who usually go there for the lunch with their family and guests and trade visitors like me, this family-run restaurant which resembles more like a friendly family cantina than a three stars Michelin, serves probably the best Lechazo of the Ribera del Duero region.

Lechazo is the baby lamb roasted in wood fired ovens typical from Castilla, usually served in a steaming open copper pot with a green salad aside seasoned only with olive oil and “Fleur de Sel” type of salt. The combination is to die for.

There are no menus here since roasted baby lamb is the specialty and the only dish prepared in the restaurant. It is usually pretty busy and you must book in advance, as they take in consideration the amount of lamb that you will eat. The usual order is about a quarter for two, but they really have to know in advance as the lambs are counted and evaluated for the exact number of guests who booked for the lunch and slowly roasted from early morning.

You can start with some black sausage and some cheese from the area, also available as a starter, but the main and only dish is the Lechazo and green salad. The lamb is so tender that it literally melts in your palate. The wine list offers a great choice of the local wines. And if you happen to have nothing to do in the afternoon, you might as well stay and admire the view of the Duero river, with a Spanish brandy, a cognac or a Calvados, from the bar which is full of classic Digestif(s) that will pair pretty well with one of the numerous cigars their humidor contains.

If you've never experienced such thing as "Lechazo", the Castilla way, you ought to go to El Nazareno.


Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Also support 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. "Commerce Equitable" or "Fair Trade" is evidently and more than ever a needed movement connecting producers and customers, to be aware of others and their cultural and traditional products based on high quality, natural components and craftsmanship.

2005 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva & 2001 Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Rioja Spain

Marqués de Murrieta

Marqués de Murrieta is located in Logroño, the capital of Rioja, a city on the Ebro River roughly situated in the middle of the Rioja region, and part of the Rioja Alta.

Marqués de Murrieta is named after Luciano de Murrieta, one of the founding fathers of modern Rioja winemaking, who established the estate in 1852 in the world-renowned Rioja region of Spain. Today V. Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga, Count of Creixell, leads the family-owned company.  

With a vision of innovation and respect for tradition, Marqués de Murrieta is rooted in strong, historical fundamentals that shape the vision and philosophy of this iconic Spanish brand. The winery is settled near the southern tip of the Rioja Alta in the middle of the beautiful “Ygay” Estate, a unique 300-hectare vineyard that guarantees complete control over the grape source of the wines and is the key to the quality and style of Marqués de Murrieta wines. 

The winery produces 5 wines available in the US market: Marqués de Murrieta Reserva, Capellanía White Reserva, Dalmau Reserva, Castillo Ygay and Pazo Barrantes Albariño.   

2005 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva Rioja Spain 

Suggested retail price $22-$25 

Imported by Maison Marques et Domaines in the US 

The personality and style of Marqués de Murrieta’s vineyards located between 420 meters to 500 meters above sea level of the 741-acre (300-hectare) Ygay Estate are expressed in a single wine: Marqués de Murrieta Reserva.  

Made from 84% Tempranillo, 13% Garnacha and 3% Mazuelo, this wine embodies ripe fruit qualities with a perfect balance of acidity and supple roundness on the palate, and a hint of new oak. It is a traditional Rioja with the classic Murrieta signature and enjoys all the benefits of modern winemaking philosophy, equipment and techniques. 

During harvest, which began September 16 and ended October 9, the grapes were picked manually and carried to the winery in small quantities. The grapes were first de-stemmed and then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for eight to 11 days with constant skin contact at 25º C. During fermentation the wine was both pumped over the cap of grape skins at the top of the tank (remontage) and the cap was pressed into the fermenting wine every second day (pigeage). Both those processes ensured maximum color and aroma without producing excessive tannin. Afterwards the solid parts of the grapes were pressed in vertical wooden presses with double screws. That process is a smooth and slow treatment that favors the extraction of the color and tannins that reside in the skin of the grapes. The resulting wine was then aged for 22 months in 225-liters oak barrels and spent about a year in bottle before release. 

Although slightly tighter and less complex, in my opinion, than the 2004 vintage, which was a great vintage in Rioja like 2001, the 2005 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva is still a remarkable example of quality Rioja. Rich, opulent, oaky, young, earthy, balanced and attractive, the 2005 vintage possesses a good core of ripe fruit, focused acidity and an excellent tannic structure, which should confer to this wine great ageing potential. However, if you cannot wait, make sure to decant it at least 45 minutes before serving it. Pair it with grilled lamb and other red meats; it needs something substantial to chew on. Love it.            

2001 Marqués de Murrieta “Castillo Ygay” Reserva Especial Rioja Spain  

Suggested retail price $47-$55  

Imported by Maisons Marques et Domaines in the US 

Marqués de Murrieta has been making classic style Rioja wines since 1852 and continues to be one of the leading wineries of this region. Their most distinguished wine, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial is always a complex and elegant classic. Only the finest vintages from the 741-acre (300-hectare) Ygay Estate are used to make Castillo Ygay. Limited in production and sought after all over the world, and easily recognizable with the emblematic Castillo Ygay label, this wine is surely one of the best young Rioja wines that I tasted recently.   

This Gran Reserva Especial is made from 93% Tempranillo and 7% Mazuelo from vineyards located at 500 meters above sea level with great exposure. During the harvest, which took place October 6 to 10, the grapes were harvested by hand and immediately taken to the winery. The grapes were first carefully de-stemmed and squeezed and then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for 11 to 15 days with daily remontage and pigeage processes to help develop the wine’s personality. Both these processes ensured maximum color and aroma without producing excessive tannin. Then the wine was aged for 31 months in 225-liter American oak barrels and spent another 14 months resting in the bottle before release. 

From the excellent 2001 vintage in Rioja, "Castillo Ygay", a Reserva Especial cuvée made in a Gran Reserva style, is dense and smooth, complex, rich, balanced and very subtle. Ripe red cherry, oak, spice, forest floor and floral aromas resume the nose. On the palate, it expresses flavors of dark berry and red cherry intermingled with hints of spice, earth and cider oak with integrated vanilla oak touch. The elegant mid-palate has a great acidity elevating the juiciness of the fruit and carrying it until the long-lasting dry finish. Very young yet expressive and approachable with great tannic structure and a lot ageing potential, it is a keeper. Highly recommended.  

One of my personal Rioja favorites, with Lopez de Heredia, CVNE, Muga, Sierra Cantabria, San Vicente, Marqués de Riscal, Bodegas Riojanas, La Rioja Alta, Remirez de Ganuza, El Coto and a few more.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Most info taken and slightly edited from the importer website at Maisons Marques et Domaines (http://mmdusa.net), for more info go to the official website of the winery at http://www.marquesdemurrieta.com


Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Also support 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. "Commerce Equitable" or "Fair Trade" is evidently and more than ever a needed movement connecting producers and customers, to be aware of others and their cultural and traditional products based on high quality, natural components and craftsmanship.

2001 Heredad de Baroja Gran Reserva Rioja Álava Spain

Heredad de Baroja Rioja Alavesa Spain

Established in 1964, by the way one of the best vintages of the 20th century in France and Spain, Bodegas Heredad de Baroja, located in the village of Elvillar, Rioja Álava (South of the Basque country), was born from the initiative of its current owner, Fernando Meruelo, who named it after a famous Spanish Basque writer.

He started by producing young wines (tinto) under the name of “Cautivo” and gradually enhanced his “Cautivo”selection by crafting Crianza, Reserva and Grand Reserva as the vines were getting older, thus producing better, richer, more complex wines.

Exporting activities started in 1989 and now represents more than 50% of his production and total sales. The construction of a new cellar and winery, the success of the newer style wines “Cautum” and “Lar de Paula” and revamping the image of his more traditional style “Cautivo” wines led to a new era for Heredad de Baroja. His wines, especially the newer modern style received instantaneously a lot of praises and accolades from critics and press.

Now equipped with state of the art technology in both facilities, the old and the new cellars, will also help to achieve the goal of selling about 2 million bottles a year, of which half will be high-end wines ageing between 14 to 36 months depending on the final wines. The company went from roughly 400,000 bottles at the beginning to more than 4 times more nowadays.

The winery portfolio comprehends wines like the classic "Rincon de Baroja" (and "Heredad de Baroja"), which I previously wrote about and which is part of his fairly new wine selection that includes: Cautum "Alta Expresión", Lar de Paula "Cepas Viejas", Rincon de Baroja CO2, Cautivo Maceración Carbónica; as well as the new labeled Cautivo brand and Cautum.


However, today's wine is a bit of an odd and peculiar wine through out the winery portfolio for different reasons:

• first, it is nowhere to be seen on the winery's website which seems to focus only on the two more modern brands named "Cautivo Gran Reserva" and "Cautum Gran Reserva".

• secondly, the wine bears a classic Rioja label with the famous and unmistakable netting around the bottle (and reddish-gold lettering), which is a classic sign of old traditional Rioja wines, usually more commonly attributed to wine like Marqués de Riscal (odd if you compare it with their newer modern labels). Experiencing a renaissance to please younger markets, they must have revamped their entire label portfolio compared to what it used to be before (see picture below for previous labels).

• thirdly, not only it looks but also it tastes much more traditional than their other labels, especially compared to "Cautum Gran Reserva".

2001 Heredad de Baroja Gran Reserva Rioja Álava Spain
Suggested retail price $28-$31
Imported / Distributed by Moonlight Wine Co. by friend Tony Gibson

The 2001 Heredad de Baroja Gran Reserva is, in my opinion, a delicious Tempranillo based wine that offers layered complexity and classic aged Rioja aromas and flavors at a very decent price for a Gran Reserva and more especially for a 2001 vintage which was, in Rioja, surely one of the greatest vintage of this decade.

Made from 100% Tempranillo aged for 36 months in French and American oak barrels, then 24 months in bottle before release, the 2001 Heredad de Baroja Gran Reserva possesses a medium garnet color with hint brown-orange reflects on the rime. At first a bit discreet, it evolved after about an hour in the decanter.

The nose is quite expressive with ripe red and dark cherry fruit aromas intermingled with slightly earthy, spicy, chocolaty toasted notes, touch of vanilla, cedar wood and secondary hints. The palate opens with great juicy dark cherry and other dark fruit flavors combined with chocolate, spice, toast, wood and earth, and some underbrush notes. As it expands, it is rather smooth and medium-to-full yet a bit dry, earthy and somewhat a touch rustic, but overall attractive and fairly complex. Fairly integrated and definitely approachable yet young and promising with a good texture and overall balance, it seems to be supported by fine fruit tannins that are a bit dry and still need a bit more time (which is nothing strange for this particularly great vintage).

In short, some may find the finish a bit dry or even a touch short, yet I thought that it had an elegant, lingering earthy cedar cherry finish where the acidity and the tannins were playing key roles. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised and found this wine very satisfying under $30, but there again I love my traditional Rioja wines, which are for me some of the best wines in the world (but you must already have discovered that if you read some of the other Rioja articles that I previously wrote my wine blog). Enjoy with beef burgers, steaks, rack of lamb or grilled lamb chops and other hearty meats.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info above partly taken and edited from the winery website at www.heredadbaroja.com

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Happy Easter and Joyeuse Pâques with Lamb and Chocolate

Happy Easter and Joyeuse Pâques with Lamb and Chocolate

Easter is at the door, and people think about Lamb and chocolate, and therefore which wines are they going to pair with their Sunday late lunch or early dinner.

Saying that I can think about 3-4 places in the world that specialize in great Lamb dishes.

France - Bordeaux - Pauillac

For someone from Bordeaux, like me, the first place that comes to mind is Pauillac, one of the most famous Bordeaux regions producing world-class high-end Cabernet Sauvignon based wines that encompasses 3 of the 5 First growth, 2 originally from the 1855 Bordeaux classification: Château Lafite Rothschild and Château LaTour, but also Château Mouton Rothschild (previously a 2nd growth, which became a 1st growth in 1973).

So, why Pauillac will you say? Well, because, despite great wines, the region possesses another peculiar appellation, locally known as the AOC “Agneau de Pauillac” (also locally called “Agneau de Lait” or milk feeding baby lamb of Pauillac); and yes, AOC are also attributed to food in France (not only wines): All French Cheeses are under AOC, “Poulet de Bresse” (or “Bresse” chicken) is also another recognized label, amongst many more, under the important and now firmly established French “AOC” quality factor and indicator.

“L’Agneau de Pauillac” is worldly estimated, and except the various delicious Lamb recipes that my wife and I make at home, the best one that I ever had was at “Cordeillan Bages”, the most famous and luxurious Hotel-Restaurant-Château of Pauillac, owned by the Château Lynch-Bages Cazes family and part of the “Relais & Chateaux” group, where the “Agneau de Lait de Pauillac” is cooked three different ways, under the supervising eyes of the iconoclast Chef Thierry Marx.

“Agneau de Pauillac” is a baby lamb, usually killed before the age of 80 days, which feeds on the milk of ewes grazing on the salt marshes of the upper Médoc, along the bank of the Gironde River, north of Bordeaux. The Gironde estuary tide’s flux and reflux often flood the pasture of fresh grass bordering the Médoc bank, depositing some salt in the grass that is said to flavor the meat, but doesn’t make it necessarily salty.

And as you may know, the sheep are greedy, really greedy ... in addition to eating all the time, the ewes of Pauillac have their preference: salty and fresh grass in summer, beans and carrots in winter. Regarding their babies, at the end of their lives, which usually do not exceed 75 days, the baby lambs feed on a mixture of molasses, sugar cane and grain to give the meat a subtle flavor and finesse, which perfectly combine and complete the naturally slightly salty taste.

This combination of flavors and characteristics of taste are now protected and ruled by “IGP” (“Indication Géographique Protégée” or Protected Geographical Indication) and more recently “AOC” (“Appellation d’Origine Controllée”) for lambs exclusively born and reared in Pauillac.

Even if it is a bit late to get your baby lamb from Pauillac at your local “boucher” (one thing that you will never find for sure…except in Bordeaux), you can always go to WholeFood or Fairway or Citarella, or even order from FreshDirect.com and order your favorite piece of lamb. Once you’ve decided, you can cook a classic like “Leg of lamb with Pommes Boulangères” or “Rack of lamb with Tomates Confites”, or even “Marinated Baron of Lamb”, many pieces, and many recipes! Only con, if you want to enjoy the meat a little pink, juicy and tender, crisp and delicate, it is better to avoid a trip to livestock farm... too touching!

Once you’ve got the lamb, even if not from Pauillac, I surely will advise you to pair it with a wine from Pauillac or the Médoc.

Out of our store inventory, I’m thinking about:



2005 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande “Reserve de la Comtesse” Pauillac France
Suggested retail price $57-$65

“Reserve de la Comtesse” is the second wine of prestigious 2nd growth Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, a classic of refinement in Pauillac, Bordeaux. Like most second wines in Bordeaux, Reserve de la Comtesse is crafted with the younger vines and the few batches that will not make the first wine. The same care and technology have been applied to produce it, yet it will always remain a reflection of the first wine. Somewhat similar, usually less complex and refined, yet offering great attributes and nuances. From the acclaimed 2005 vintage, this wine is a steal. A blend of roughly 49% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 11% Petit Verdot, it exhibits bright ripe summer red and dark fruit on the nose with aromas of blackberries, plums and strawberries and characteristic cedar oak notes. The palate generously and elegantly reveals fine tannins, hints of mineral and wisps of earthiness wrap around the fruit on the palate. The finish is quite long and youthful with very good ageing potential. A great value from an incredible vintage. One of my favorites Pauillac, with Pontet-Canet, Pichon-Baron, Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Lynch-Bages, Cordeillan-Bages, Batailley and a few more.



2005 Château Fiefs de Lagrange Saint-Julien Médoc France
Suggested retail price $34-$40

Fiefs de Lagrange is the second wine of Château Lagrange, one the greatest yet low key estates of Saint-Julien in the Haut Médoc region of Bordeaux. The estate which belongs to the Suntory group has kept its traditions of making juicy, fresh, earthy and food friendly Saint-Julien, rather than follow the trend of the over-extracted and overly oaky style of some of the neighboring Châteaux. Riper and fuller than its older sibling, the excellent 2000 vintage, the 2005 vintage is also a classic in Saint-Julien and Bordeaux overall. It offers very good balance and harmony, delineated by great acidity and essential tannic structure, lifting and framing respectively the ripe red fruit flavors and other components. Beautiful now, it will age nicely and gain in complexity and nuances. Surely one of my favorites Saint-Julien, with Langoa-Barton, and the three Leoville (Las-Cases, Barton, and Poyferré which has came a long way and now taste better than ever), and Gruaud Larose. I could continue with a long list of Bordeaux wines, but I think that you get the idea.

Spain - Rioja - Ribera del Duero

After France, the 2nd country that comes to mind is Spain; with of course the tender suckling baby lamb, called "lechazo" (same as the French “Agneau de Lait”), which is a classic favorite dish of the Castilla-Leon region. It is roasted until crispy on the outside and so tender on the inside, that the meat is literally melting in your mouth. Enhance the taste of it by pairing it with some Tempranillo based wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero.

“Cochinillo”, better known as suckling pig, is also one of the greatest delicacies of Ribera del Duero (nothing to do with Lamb and Eastern, but always good to mention for the food amateur like me).

Lamb in the USA is generally very large, since the most popular cut is leg of lamb. Lambs in the USA are slaughtered much older than it is customary to do in Europe. So, if you are unable to buy a suckling lamb through your local butcher, purchase a leg of lamb (bone-in). A braised rack of lamb or grilled lamb chops will be nice too.



2001 Marqués de Murrieta “Castillo Ygay” Reserva Especial Rioja Spain
Suggested retail price $47-$55

Marques de Murrieta has been making classic style Rioja wines since 1852 and continues to be one of the leading wineries of this region. From the excellent 2001 vintage in Rioja, "Castillo Ygay", a Reserva Especial cuvee made in a Gran Reserva style, is dense and smooth, complex, rich, balanced and very subtle. Ripe red cherry, oak, spice, forest floor and floral aromas resume the nose. On the palate, it expresses flavors of dark berry and red cherry intermingled with hints of spice, earth and cider oak with integrated vanilla oak touch. The elegant mid-palate has a great acidity elevating the juiciness of the fruit and carrying it until the long-lasting dry finish. Very young yet expressive and approachable with great tannic structure and a lot ageing potential, it is a keeper. One of my personal Rioja favorites, with Lopez de Heredia, CVNE, Muga, Sierra Cantabria, Marqués de Riscal, Bodegas Riojanas, La Rioja Alta, and many more.



2004 Bodegas Arzuaga Reserva Ribeira del Duero Spain
Suggested retail price $52-$60

Azienda Arzuagua is a traditionalist, terroir-oriented and organically farmed winery neighboring Vega Sicilia and producing earthy, intense and age-worthy Ribera del Duero. The 2004 Reserva is surely one of their most accomplished wines of this decade. It is deep dark red in color with brick reflects. Smooth and complex on the nose, it offers both dark and red cherry aromas as well as a woodiness and earth. It is rich on the palate with present yet integrated tannins; it still retains its fresh pure fruit characteristics complementing its rich, dense and earthy palate. Still very young and promising, it should be kept it for a little while longer or decanted before serving. After about 40 minutes of decantation, it was delightful. One of my Ribera del Duero favorites, with Vega Sicilia, Alion, Mauro, Pesquera, Emilio Moro, Alonso del Yerro, Alenza, Pingus and Viña Sastre, and many more.

There again, I could continue for a long list but get the picture too.

New Zealand

The 3rd country is New Zealand of course. They have some of the best lamb dish in the world. Their Pinot Noir(s) are the most appropriate. Other countries like Scotland and Ireland also have some of the best Lamb around, but they do not produce wines, although you can still have a Guinness or an aged single malt with lamb, I doubt that it will be the best food pairing.

There are so many other countries that are cooking great lamb recipes and so many more wines that I would like to talk about, but I think I will stop here for today.

Chocolate

And before, I forgot, for chocolate, it is quite easy, and as I mentioned them in some of my previous post, a “Banyuls” or a “Bugey Cerdon” semi-sweet sparkling rosé will perfectly do the trick. Some people may think about sweet Tannat from Uruguay which is also a fantastic choice for Chocolate, but you can also try some of these classics: a "Rasteau" (Rhône) or a Maury (Roussillon) or a Vintage Porto (Portugal) or even a Sherry (Spain), like "East India" from Lustau, one my favorites Palomino-Pedro Ximenez based sherry to pair with chocolate.

Bodegas Emilio Lustau (SA) Sherry

Don José Ruiz-Berdejo founded Emilio Lustau (SA) in 1896. In the beginning, Lustau was essentially an Almacenista, a modest estate with small holdings that sold most of its wine to large exporting Bodegas. It was not until the 1950s that Lustau became Emilio Lustau SA, and it joined the prestigious ranks of a select group of exporters of Sherry. In the early 1980s, Emilio Lustau SA, then under the management of the late Rafael Balao, became one of the most innovative companies in Jerez, launching the "Almacenista" line and creating the distinctive bottle that we know today. Lustau is now widely considered one of the finest producers of Sherry, with their Almacenista line breaking new ground in handcrafted, boutique wines. These Sherries, drawing on rare and marvelous wines held by small producers, are some of the finest Sherries made today.

Lustau offers a wide array of Sherries from the bone-dry Finos that are wonderful matches with garlic-y shrimp and langostinos. Racy Amontillados balance power with finesse and are wonderful with nuts, olives, cheeses, and jamon Serrano. Powerful Olorosos can be served during a meal and match well with traditional soups and stews. Of course, the wide range of dessert wines from Lustau are unparalleled; the elegant East India Cream Sherry is as soft as silk, the Moscatels offers a delightful citrus edge that keeps the wines lively on the palate while the dark Pedro Ximenez is best served as a “syrup” over vanilla ice cream, pancakes or waffles.



NV Bodegas Emilio Lustau (SA) “East India” Sherry-Xeres-Jerez de La Fronterra Spain
Suggested retail price $25-$30

Dating from 1896, the house of Emilio Lustau is arguably one of the most important names in the world of sherry. And “East India” is perhaps the best value dessert wine in the Lustau portfolio.

This extraordinary Cream Sherry seeks to replicate the ancient style of Cream Sherry that was discovered quite by accident. Trading ships sailing to the Indies in the 16th century frequently carried butts (barrels) of sweet sherry lashed to their decks or in their holds as ballast. After travelling through the tropics, it was discovered that the heat and humidity had matured the wine and given it a wonderful smooth texture. Lustau has recreated this process by heating and controlling the amount of air allowed in the warehouse where the East India Solera is matured.

The result is an exceptional dessert wine with a smooth, sweet taste reminiscent of figs, coffee, caramel and nuts and just enough acidity to give it balance. East India is a blend of reserve soleras averaging 15-20 years of age; it has aromas of dried fruits and spices and a creamy, soft and silky, spicy texture. Classified somewhat between a Cream Sherry and an Oloroso, yet a sweet and harmonious one, it is a quite unique style of Solera Reserva that is best served at the end of a meal, accompanied by dried fruits, nuts, and blue cheese, but also chocolate or alone as a digestif.

Happy Easter and Joyeuse Pâques

Enjoy,

Ledom du Vin

Info about Lustau partly taken from the importer/distributor website www.skurnikwines.com

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Marqués de Vitoria: an underrated traditional Rioja's winery (2nd post) and 2001 Marqués de Vitoria Reserva Rioja Alavesa Spain

Marqués de Vitoria: an underrated traditional Rioja's winery (2nd post)

As I already mentioned it in a previous post, Marqués de Vitoria features amongst some of my favorites traditional Rioja's wineries, which include: La Rioja Alta (Vina Ardanza), Lopez de Heredia (Vina Bosconia and Tondonia), Bodegas Riojanas (Gran Albina), CVNE (Vina Real), Marqués de Murrieta (Castillo Ygay), Marques de riscal (Reserva and Gran Reserva), and a few more rare gems.

However, being a part of the massive Faustino group, which owns quite a few wineries and hectares of vines in the Rioja region, Marqués de Vitoria is very often underrated by the press and overlooked by most Spanish wine lovers as a less established or more commercial brand. Somewhat not always working for the reputation of the brand, these unfortunate downside facts allow great opportunities for connoisseurs and amateurs like you and I, to still enjoy the wines from this Bodegas at a great price, which works best for our wallets.

In a previous post, I talked about the 2004 Marqués de Vitoria Crianza and the 1996 Gran Reserva, which were really good, yet once again, Marqués de Vitoria impressed me with its old school, integrated, earthy attitude 2001 Reserva.

2001 and 2004 were surely the best two vintages of last decade in Rioja overall. Although still a bit young for some Gran Reserva and Reserva Especial, the 2001 Reserva are drinking beautifully and most of the ones that I tasted are massively expressive. The 2004 are quite impressive too, yet some of them may need a few more years. Marqués de Vitoria 2001 is the last 2001 Rioja that I tasted recently and it was absolutely exquisite, especially if you prefer more traditional, earthy Rioja style like me.

Created in the late 19th century by the Marquis of Vitoria, the Bodegas has a name eponymous of a city anciently known as Gasteiz (in Basque), which became Vitoria in 1181 (or Victoria in English) and it’s now the region’s capital.

Bodegas Marqués de Vitoria has become one of the landmarks of the plains of the Alavese region (or Álava or Alavesa), located in Oyón, a small village north of Logroño, in the south of the Álava region. The bodegas possesses an ocean of vineyards from which they craft numerous wines: Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva, an organic wine called “Ecco”, an exclusively old vines made wine called “Original”, a white Rioja made with 100% Viura and a 100% Tempranillo Rosé.

People may see this Bodegas as a commercial venture like Faustino, yet no one can deny the fact that both of these wineries still craft their Rioja wines with an old school, traditional twist which is far from the heavy duty, modern, super extracted and woody, massive fruit bombs that certain Rioja producers have crafted recently to please the demand of certain markets influenced by certain prominent critics.

I have been a Rioja wines fan for years and being from Bordeaux, when I go back to France in vacation, I rarely missed an opportunity to drive to the Basque country in Spain for a few days, to appreciate the warm climate, the frank attitude of the Basque, the culture, the landscape and more especially to gorge myself with “Tapas”, “Chuletas” and other Basque delicacies paired with some old vintage Riojas found in some of the unknown-to-the-grand-public restaurants bordering the Basque coast or lost in one of the numerous hilltop villages, like Laguardia or San Vicente, in Rioja itself.

Old school, traditional Rioja red wines are usually extremely aromatic, mixing the nuances of the toasted oak barrel long ageing and earthy, Terroir influenced touches with fresh, juicy red cherry fruit, complemented by integrated tannins. Their color is often light, see through for some with age, which, just to remind you, has nothing to do with the concentration or complexity or length. Classic Tempranillo based wines like Pinot Noir can appear to be light in color and not extracted, yet they most of the time reveal great aromas, beautiful balance and fruit concentration in the palate with complex structure and texture.

Color can be a deceiving indicator, not to take for granted depending on the grape variety. In any case, Tempranillo like Pinot Noir shouldn't be too hinky or dark or too extracted. Both grapes are not Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache or even Zinfandel and shouldn't be treated like such. They both produce delicate, balanced, juicy, vibrant wines, more imparted by the oak influence in the case of Tempranillo, I admit, but they shouldn't taste jammy or be too thick. Modern ways and demand for such heavier style wines may have become fashionable for a while, yet people will realize with time that Tempranillo (and Pinot Noir) is more about elegance, charm and earthiness mixed with harmonious oaky nuances, rather than being hugely fruity and ripe (or even way overripe for some) with tones of oak flavors.

However, let’s go back to this wonderful 2001 Marqués de Vitoria Reserva, which once again startled me and confirmed my tendency to better appreciate traditional style wines compared to more modern and extracted style.




2001 Marqués de Vitoria Reserva Rioja Alavesa
Spain Suggested retail price $23-$26
Imported/Distributed by VINAIO in NYC

Made from 100% Tempranillo grapes coming from 30 years old vines, this wine was vinified then aged for about 2 years in French Allier forest oak casks where the wine remained from roughly December 2001 to September-October 2003. It spent an additional year in bottle before release.

Which make me think to remind most Rioja novices, that Rioja is one of the rare regions in the world that has kept the tradition to age wine for a long period of time (2 years in Barrel + 1 year in Bottle for Reserva; 2-3 year in Barrel + 1-2 years in bottle for the Reserva Especial and Gran Reserva). In fact, release occurs when the wine, although still young and full of promises with great ageing potential, is ready to drink and integrated enough, presenting its best youthful profile to the patient consumer. Some of us will even be more patient and keep it for a few more years until the wine reaches its ideal maturity in the bottle.

The color is quite characteristic to older Rioja, medium intensity red-aged-cherry garnet with brick orange touches on the rim. On the nose, the 2001 Marqués de Vitoria exhibits ripe red and dark cherry aromas, with woody, slightly floral and earthy notes intermingled with hints of toasted oak, cedar, spices, underbrush, forest floor, coffee and few more attractive secondary and tertiary nuances. The medium to full, juicy and harmonious palate offers ripe red and dark cherry fruit, old prune and toasted layers, here again complemented by sweet integrated tannins that add structure and vibrant, refreshing acidity that nicely balance the fruit and the oak. The lingering finish is dry and inviting with good ageing potential. Pair it with grilled baby lamb Chuletas, rack of lamb, meat casseroles and stews, game and poultry, venison or even duck served with gratin Dauphinois and garlic-parsley sauteed mushrooms.

Overall, a well-crafted wine from the acclaimed 2001 vintage and another fine example of what this vintage can offer and what an authentic Rioja should taste like. Some more established or renowned brands may offer more complexity and guts, thus give you a better or finer experience in this 2001 vintage, but none or few of them will offer such experience at less than $25 a bottle, except Marqués de Riscal which was amazing under $20.

Enjoy,

LeDom du vin

For more info visit the winery website at www.marquesdevitoria.com

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Bodegas Viña Ijalba Graciano Rioja Spain

Bodegas Viña Ijalba Graciano Rioja Spain

On one of my previous post on introducing "CVNE Contino" (see my post of Sat. 03.28.09), I was talking about the fact that Graciano, which usually constitutes a minimal part of the blend with Mazuelo (also known as Carignan in France and Cariñena in Spain) in Rioja's wines, only complements Tempranillo to add color and aromas and part of the structure and texture.

Graciano is a late budding grape variety, with naturally low yield, that necessitates longer ripening season than Tempranillo and is usually rarely bottled on its own. Yet, quite a few property now possesses some old vines Graciano and the wine that this grape produces is characterized by its deep red color, strong earthy aromas and ability to age well, but only few are the wineries daring to bottle Graciano. Along with Contino led by skillful winemaker Jesus Madrazo, Bodegas Viña Ijalba is one of these few adventurous estates setting the example and the trend.

Viña Ijalba was founded in 1975 by Dionisio Ruiz Ijalba, with the planting of the first vineyard of Villamediana de Irega (near Logroño). Since then, the vines of Viña Ijalba have been cultivated strictly in accordance with traditional Rioja rules and, more importantly, organic methods: high density, in infertile and shallow soils, no use of chemical fertilizers (only dung), no irrigation during the growing cycle, and no use of insecticides or pesticides.

The entire vineyard is planted on abandoned opencast mines, which have been restored from an environmental point of view, having received several national and European prizes for the restoration undergone. As a consequence of the location of the vineyard, the soils are poor and limy, with little depth. The vineyards are planted on the sites of ancient quarries, which have poor rocky soils. Thus, the vine's roots have to grow very deep to find water and nourishment.

Viña Ijalba, which is also one of Rioja's leading Organic wineries, produces all of its wines under organic methods and processes. The wines of Bodegas Viña Ijalba, are the result of vineyards (viñedos) planted traditionally with the best bio-organic techniques. This fairly new bodega uses modern technology, and a totally original philosophy of wine making. The actual Bodega and cellar was constructed north of Logroño in 1991.

Viña Ijalba owns 70 Hectares (175 acres) of vineyards which are in a number of parcels surrounding Logroño, in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, and Valle del Najerilla. These vineyards supply 100 % of the production of the bodega. The grapes planted have been matched to the soil type and micro-climate of each vineyard site.


Viña Ijalba produces a fairly large range of fully organic wines:

• "Genoli" Viura: a Blanco made from 100% Viura.

• "Aloque" Rose: a young Rosado made from 50% Garnacha and 50% free run Tempranillo.

• "Livor" Tinto: a young Tinto made from 90% Tempranillo and 10% Mazuelo.

• "Solferino": a tinto made from 100% Tempranillo with fermentation using whole berries with traditional foot treading as practiced 100 years ago.

• "Ijalba Graciano": a classic Tinto made from 100% Graciano. Apparently, in 1995, it was the first 100% varietal Graciano to be bottled on its own in the history of Rioja!

• "Múrice": a crianza en Barrica made from 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo aged for one year in new oak plus one year in the bottle.

• "Ijalba Reserva": a Reserva made from 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano aged for two years in new oak plus two years ageing in the bottle.

• "Ijalba Reserva Especial": a Reserva Especial made from 50% Graciano and 50% old vines Tempranillo aged for two years in new oak plus two years ageing in the bottle.

Ijalba Graciano's vinification: fermentation of the crushed and pressed grapes occurred in stainless steel tanks at a constant temperature of 25°C. The wine was then stabilized at low temperature, and lightly filtered, and was aged in oak for aproximately 12 months before bottling.




2004 Bodegas Viña Ijalba Graciano Rioja Spain
Suggested retail price $18-$21
Imported/Distributed by Baron François in NYC

At first, this wine strikes you with its deep red-lilac-garnet color, somewhat unusual purple with timid brick reflects on the rim. On the nose, intense aromas of ripe figs and dark wild berries mingled with underbrush, slightly mushroomy, earthy notes (in a good intriguing way). The palate is fairly intense too and Terroir oriented. Rich and well balanced with great acidity and somewhat raw textured, the wine is fruity, earthy, medium to full-bodied, may be esoteric for some yet well crafted, soft and inviting with present yet nicely integrated chewy tannins. Definitely a food friendly wine, ready to drink now after a bit of aeration yet showing some good ageing potential.

From the importer's point of view, it goes well with strong, heavy and spicy meals, red meat, venison (hare, boar, stag), but as well with fish like sea bream, tuna or cod (grilled or with a sauce) and all typed of risotto.

FYI: we also have the 2005 vintage at the store, which is also a very good wine, somehow less austere yet, in my opinion, not fully ready to drink now and somehow less open than the 2004 for the moment due to some tannins that will need a bit more time to settle down. Despite this last comments, I also love the 2005 Viña Ijalba Graciano. By the way, the label of the 2005 vintage is quite different from the one of the 2004 vintage, it has been revamped.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info taken and edited from the NYC Importer/Distributor website at www.baronfrancois.com and from the Pennsylvania Importer/Distributor at www.worldshippers.com

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2001 Marqués de Haro Selección Especial Rioja Haro Spain

Tonight, a few hours ago, I was faced with a problem. No wine to drink with dinner... What a dilemma for a French guy, more over a wine buyer and wine lover, like me!

Should I go to the nearest wine store, the closest one to my house, which also happens to be the place of my first job in a wine retail store in Manhattan, knowing that the price are great and that I wouldn’t mind opening a bottle of Marqués de Riscal 2004 Reserva (we drank quite a few of them and still not bored of it), which is one of my wife and I favorite Rioja wineries (a touch commercial now and less traditional, but consistent and reliable), or should I just try to have a look in my small wine fridge among the bottles that we normally keep for good occasions to find a fortunately misplaced bottle of what ever it will be.

Well, it was cold and rainy outside, so I opted for the second choice: the wine fridge. Curiously (or not for those of you who know me well), most of my precious bottles, the ones that I keep jealously and represent sentimental memories, are mostly from the Rioja region in Spain.

Strange, for a guy coming from Bordeaux, one might have expected finding a few Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pessac-Leognan, Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Côtes de Castillon and Côtes de Bourg, which are some of my favorite Bordeaux appellations… yet none! In my mother and father’s houses, yes, but none in New York!

However, searching among the few gems laying down at the bottom of the wine fridge, I found a bottle of 2001 Marqués de Haro Selección Especial Rioja Haro Spain. This bottle was offered to me a while ago, but I don’t remember if it was while working as one of the host for the PJwine.com Spanish wine festival (which is by the way one of the best Spanish tastings in NYC) or if it was when I last visited the winery in 2006.

Despite the fact that it was a 2001 vintage and that I surely should have kept it for a few more years, and that the wine, despite its expensive price ($85-$95 in NYC), had no sentimental value, except may be the fact that I tasted it at the winery when I visited La Rioja Alta winery a few years ago... I needed a wine for tonight’s dinner, so why not? After all, why not treating ourselves with a good Rioja, everyday is a good occasion, after all, you’ll never know what might happen tomorrow, so might as well enjoy it today.

La Rioja Alta, S.A. Marqués de Haro

Marqués de Haro is one of the labels produced by the group of “La Rioja Alta S.A.” one of the old, classic wineries located in Rioja’s wine capital Haro.

On July 10, 1890, five Basque and Rioja-based vine growers created "SOCIEDAD VINICOLA DE LA RIOJA ALTA" which was and still is known as the Haro Station District. This was the beginning of a fascinating business venture in which the only dream of the five founders was to craft and age high quality wines.

The open-minded spirit of Rioja’s wineries and winemakers of nowadays, towards other European technologies and ideas, was already present in the region and in La Rioja Alta S.A. winery from the very beginning. Mr. Vigier, a French expert, was hired as technical manager and, soon after, the vinification and ageing processes were changed to what is now known as “classic” vinification. Shortly after, the company changed its name to "LA RIOJA ALTA" in 1891.

To shortly explain what happened since, here is a little history sequence taken the winery website with a few personal comments:

• In 1941, the company took on its present name, “La Rioja Alta, S.A.” LA RIOJA ALTA, S.A. A year later, they register the brand name that brought them fame and renown: “Viña Ardanza”. At the time, casks were manufactured entirely in the winery by a team of five coopers, but the concept was abandoned later. In 2002, they revived this tradition and manufactured their own cask since, with wood imported from the U.S. and dried for 2 years in their coopery.
  

• In 1952, purchase of the winery’s first bottling system. Before that, the bottling process took place in the client’s facilities (like for many wineries at the time in Europe –like France, Italy, Portugal, Germany, etc.- bottling was a luxury handled by the wine merchants and other Négociants, or by a bottling system mounted on a truck going from wineries to cooperatives and village to village. People in general may not realize it, but before and until the 50s, bottling at the property was a costly concept that only began to be more affordable and accessible to more people in the late 50s and mid 60s).
  

• In 1970, a new cask hall was built and we started to increase their vineyards, buying several estates. This was the time when new brands were introduced, such as Viña Arana and Viña Alberdi.
  

• In 1985, they registered a brand name, which was to become very popular in the future: Marqués de Haro. They were also trying to find vineyards and make white wines, with the same high quality as their reds.
  

• As a result, in 1987 they acquired and renovated a traditional winery located in the heart of Galicia, "Lagar de Fornelos, S. A.", which produces the excellent “Lagar de Cervera” made from 76 hectares of 100% Albariño vines.
  

• On January 27, 1995, they bought “Torre de Oña, S.A.” a charming winery located in the area of Páganos-Laguardia, which produces “Barón de Oña” a great Reserva red. This made them one of the best quality producers in Rioja Alavesa.
  

• On January 16, 1996, work started on the new Labastida winery, located on their estates just 1,500 meters from the Haro winery. This new facility enabled them to considerably improve the quality of the wines made by La Rioja Alta, S.A. , especially with the fermentation process.
  

Always eager to grow and diversify their wine portfolio, and after a long, but thorough search, which started in 1989 with the purchase and plantation of the first vineyards, 1999 to 2001 saw the construction of a new, state-of-the-art winery called Bodegas Y Viñedos Áster, located in Anguix (Burgos) in the Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin.

Now fully developed and equipped, producing a wide array of wines allowing them to satisfy the need of their customers and to be represented in all the major markets around the globe, La Rioja Alta is now focusing on innovation, better quality and adaptation to the rapidly evolving changes occurring in the wine world.

During my last visit at La Rioja Alta S.A, in April 2006, we had the chance to taste some wines at the barrel from the fantastic 2004 vintage and the already opulent 2005, but also had the privilege to go upstairs in the magnificent tasting rooms, sitting around a huge wooden and glass table, tasting some of the experiments of the winemaker who was actually genuinely asking us what will be better for the American consumers and make us taste different blends that we gratefully described and commented. He was trying and experimenting different blends to offer more appealing wines to certain markets, yet remaining true to the quality and the image of La Rioja Alta and the classic taste of Rioja. What a challenge for this innovative and daring winemaker named Julio Sáenz. Spending a few hours with this man, tasting and talking about wine and vinification process, really taught us how complex, precise, fragile and exciting the job of winemaker can be.

After this little parentheses that brought us back in the history of La Rioja Alta winery, let’s go back to our wine of the day: the 2001 Marqués de Haro Selección Especial.

So as previously said, Marqués de Haro was born in 1985 in the Experimentation Hall, as the result of a research program to expend the portfolio and complete the range of produced wine, with a high quality wine and a slight different profile in mind.

Supervised by Julio Sáenz, La Rioja Alta’s oenologist, the blending and experiments are all conducted in the winery's Experimentation Hall. The primary purpose of the Experimentation Hall is to study the different factors affecting the quality and style of the wines, in addition research is also focused on new wine market trends so, in cases like this, they also make completely new wines (like some of the new blends that they were tasting on us back in 2006).

It is a fairly new project based on the old traditional Rioja’s way to blend the influence of the different oak used for the barrels and respect the aromas and flavors from Rioja’s grape varieties: Tempranillo as the base and foundation of each wine, blended with Graciano, which adds elegance and freshness.




2001 Marqués de Haro Selección Especial Rioja Haro Spain
Suggested retail price $85-$95
Although La Rioja Alta S.A wines are imported/distributed by Michael Skurnik in NYC, I do not think that Marques de Haro is available in the US (I may be wrong…) and Skurnik doesn’t seem to carry it.

There again, I’m not too sure and the winery website doesn’t mention it, but it seems that Marqués de Haro Selección Especial is only produced in certain vintage, after this 2001 vintage, the current release is the 2005. It also seems that some rare magnum and double magnum of Marqués de Haro Gran Reserva were produced in the late 80s, there again it only happened for special occasion or specific vintage, like 1989.

The 2001 Marqués de Haro Selección Especial is roughly a blend of 85% Tempranillo from a selection of old vineyards in Briñas and Villalba, planted on clay loam soil, and 15% of Graciano from the Melchorón vineyard in Rodezno, on sand soil, respectively trained in respect of the grape and its need depending on the type of soil. After about 9 days of alcoholic fermentation at a controlled temperature, the fermented wine remained with its skins for 7 days in order to ensure the required structure and color. Malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks for 35 days, after which the wine was transferred to casks in the Experimentation Room in May 2006. Oak ageing process may differ depending on the vintage, but approximately, the Tempranillo was aged in 60% new French and 40% American oak casks, whereas the Graciano remained in new American oak. After 12 months in the cask, and being racked by hand twice after 4 and 12 months, it was bottled after a slight filtration process in July 2003.

Just out of the temperature controlled wine fridge, the 2001 Marqués de Haro Selección Especial was a bit cold but already promising features. In the glass, it showed a bright, garnet color of light to medium intensity, enhanced with slight brick reflects. I let it rest for a little while to bring it at room temperature. After a few minutes, it already released an attractive perfume. The very expressive nose was fresh, refined and vibrant, with red cherry and spicy oak aromas intermingled with layered nuances of red berry and darker or riper berries, spices, lead pencil, leather, somewhat ripe figs, earth and tobacco. Somehow, dark, tight, slightly tannic, austere and woody when cold, now that it was at the right temperature, it was far more open, soft, silky, almost feminine and beautifully balanced. Light to medium bodied, For a Selección Especial I was expecting a richer style of wine, but I was far from being disappointed, on the contrary, I even liked it better this way. Bright red cherry and spicy oak aromas lifted by an incredible, refreshing acidity and framed by very integrated, finely chiseled tannins, up until the long lasting finish. Somewhat delicate, refined and charming, this wine is another proof of the high quality wines crafted at La Rioja Alta, S.A, and an outstanding example of how good the acclaimed and now classic 2001 vintage was in Rioja. A “must have” wine for amateurs and connoisseurs of traditional, old school Rioja wines.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken (and edited) from the winery website at www.riojalta.com and photo from the opened bottle at home.

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