Where... In the north-east of Spain, South of Bilbao and San Sebastian. Around 3.5 hours drive north of Madrid.
Main towns... Logroño, Haro, Laguardia, Calahorra
What... Tempranillo and the greatest red wines in the world
As this is the first of what (I hope!) will be many posts about Spanish wine, I’m going to start with one of the world’s greatest wine regions. Actually, it is the greatest but has some way to go to convince a handful of old-school, recalcitrant critics (who cares?!).
Rioja. A region, not a grape. A valley stretching 100km between the Sierra de Cantabria that protects the region from the ever-changing, harsh weather of the Bay of Biscay that shapes the Basque Country in the north, and the Sierra de la Demanda, the southern mountain range that divides Rioja from the great Meseta, the high-altitude, vast, flat plain of central Spain (and no, it doesn’t rain mostly on the plain in Spain!).
Rioja. Nearly 600 bodegas (wineries) make everything from young, fruity and exuberant red wines, to unique, oaked whites and the most age-worthy red wines in the world (and everything in between). The headliner grape here is Tempranillo (Temp-ran-iyo) although Garnacha is more and more important and, in fact, used to be very widely planted. Complimentary red grapes are Mazuelo (Cariñena or Carignan) that can offer acidity and structure to blends, and Graciano, a difficult grape but one that can produce intensely perfumed wines with real grunt and intensity. There’s also a little Maturana Tinta which has a wonderful Cabernet Franc-like character with green pepper and an attractive tobacco leafiness.
Most reds have traditionally been blends, combining varieties to produce a wine greater than the sum of its parts, and drawing on the best elements of the three growing zones of the region: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental. But more recently, there has been an exciting move towards wines of defined origin, single vineyard or village wines and more single varietal wines. While the traditional classification system is still important (Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva: all terms which explain the amount of aging of a wine in barrel and bottle), winemakers are now keen to present wines which express a clear interpretation of the unique Rioja terroir.
While nearly 90% of the region is planted with red varieties, white wine is becoming increasingly fashionable with most wineries making fresh and fruity blends which compliment some of the iconic aged whites of the region. They are mostly made from Viura, a grape that can be a little neutral and shy when young but comes into its own with some time in barrel or bottle.
There’s also fantastic Garnacha Blanca and Malvasía, as well as the local Tempranillo Blanco, a mutation of the red variety.
There are some other minority varieties, both local and international, and they are often used in blends to produce full bodied white wines with fantastic acidity.
With many vineyards planted over 700m in altitude, and some up to 900m, Riojan wines offer a freshness unparalleled in most other European fine wine regions. It is the perfect balance within the grapes and impressive acidity that ensures long aging potential in the wines of the region. Most are released with the intention of being consumed immediately – something that makes me very happy! – but with the possibility of cellaring for 10, 20 and even 50 years or more. Often a decent Rioja wine, let’s take the example of a basic Crianza (a wine with 2 years of aging), will appear fresher and more youthful with 10 years of age than a Bordeaux wine of similar quality (for example, a Cru Bourgeois).
It is a region drenched in history but if the focus remains on the vineyards and the current generation of top winemakers can continue to make their mark, it is an appellation with an eye firmly on the future. I have been visiting the region for nearly 20 years and have never encountered so many outstanding wines that are worthy of consideration among the very best in the world. And, of course, they are simply delicious!
Producers to look out for:
Icons La Rioja Alta, Muga, Viña Tondonia, Marqués de Murrieta, Contino
Modern Greats Miguel Merino, Artuke, Carlos Sánchez, Castillo de Cuzcurrita,
Bodega Lanzaga
Ones to Watch:
Bárbara Palacios, Exopto, José Gil, Sierra de Toloño, Alegre y Valgañon, Aiurri
To be drunk with: Snack Jamón because, well, it’s Spain! But a packet of classic Arnott’s Shapes would work just as well.
Meal: Lamb chops – chuletillas – cooked on a flame over vine branches from a Rioja vineyard... Heaven.
Song: Born to Run because the best deserves the best.
Movie: The ultimate combination of Spanish culture and passion, and the Australian ability to find excellence in the ordinary… Strictly Ballroom.
TV Series: Gran Reserva - admittedly might be hard to get your hands on - a Spanish soap set in Rioja that starts with a murder in a winery. If you can’t find that, I would go for Rake: brilliantly, beautifully intellectual while a show for the people, a celebration of the everyday and its underbelly. At once perfect and proletarian…just like Rioja.
Sport Test Match Cricket, the only sport that can provide immediate pleasure (think a hat-trick or a fiery opening batter taking on the bowling attack) and the intense satisfaction that comes from a carefully constructed bowling set-up (Shane Warne) or a long innings played perfectly to conditions (Perry’s double century at North Sydney).
By Beth Willard.
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