As you know, Rioja is one of the most famous Spanish regions, famous for its high-quality wines. In this article we will look at the characteristics of Rioja and its winemaking and why these wines are among the best in the world.
Rioja is located in northern Spain and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The region is known for its vineyards, which are located at an altitude of 400 to 800 meters above sea level, which creates optimal conditions for growing grapes. Rioja produces more than 250 million bottles of wine per year, making it one of the largest wine centers in the world. One of the features of Rioja is its legislative system, which regulates wine production in the region. The Rioja Control Commission oversees the entire process, from growing the grapes to bottling the wine. This ensures that the wines produced in Rioja meet high standards of quality and tradition.
One of the main features of Rioja is its long and careful aging of wine. Each wine must go through a certain period of aging to obtain its unique quality and flavor. The Rioja region has the largest number of oak barrels of any wine region in the world, about 1.3 million. Wines are divided into four categories depending on the length of aging: Generic, Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva.
"Generic" are wines that have not passed the aging stage, but guarantee provenance and vintage. The main characteristics are freshness and fruitiness.
"Crianza" - red wines are aged for at least one year in oak barrels. White wines of the "Crianza" category are aged for at least six months. This period of aging in oak barrels contributes to the appearance of hints of vanilla and spice, but the fruit and fresh profile still dominate.
"Reserva" - red wines are aged for at least three years, one of which is necessarily in barrels and 6 months in bottle. White wines - 2 years, of which 6 months in barrels. The profile of Reserva wines focuses on a balance of fruitiness and oak. Reserva wines are more tannic, and aromatic than Generic and Crianza.
"Gran Reserva" are the longest-aged wines, which go through a stage of aging for at least five years. For red wines "Gran Reserva" is a minimum of two years in oak barrels and two years in bottles. For "Gran Reserva" white wines, a minimum of four years, of which six months are aged in oak. The "Gran Reserva" wines stand out for their ability to be stored for a long time, evolving in bottles for decades. Their mosaic is composed of ripe fruit, spices, oak, tobacco, chocolate, and coffee. These wines are the choice for true connoisseurs.
The Three Keats
The Rioja region is divided into three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Oriental. Rioja Alta is the oldest and largest sub-region in Rioja. It is located between 400 and 700 meters above sea level with a predominantly Atlantic climate. Soils: clay-limestone and alluvial. Rioja Alavesa is a sub-region located northwest of Rioja Alta, between 400 and 700 meters above sea level. Here the climate has an Atlantic influence, it is dry and sunny, and the soil consists of clay and limestone, divided into terraces and small areas. Rioja Oriental is the southernmost and least known sub-region of Rioja, whose culture is irrigational and closely related to the identity of the villages. The sub-region is located between 200 and 500 meters above sea level. The climate here is hotter and drier, and the soil consists of red clay and sand, making it more fertile. Wines from Rioja Oriental tend to have a higher alcohol level, less acidity, and a richer flavor.
Skeletons of Wine
Red Varieties of Grapes
Tempranillo 87.7% (This variety is a sort of regional calling card. Tempranillo is good friends with an oak barrel, but is susceptible to pests and diseases, and not very resistant to drought and high temperatures).
Garnacha tinta7,5% ( Depending on its environment, Garnacha tinta can exhibit different traits. In warmer areas, it produces very full-bodied wines with a high alcohol and tannin content. In cooler areas, it produces very interesting, more delicate specimens. It is resistant to pests and major grape diseases).
Graciano2.1% (A "native" grape, with very limited cultivation in other regions. Graciano pairs very well with Tempranillo. This varietal needs a cool climate of limestone and clay soils. It offers wines with pronounced acidity and polyphenol content, ideal for aging).
Mazuelo 2.0% (This variety has been cultivated for several centuries, but the growing area remains very small. It requires large quantities of heat, and imparts an abundance of tannins to the wines).
Maturana tinta 0,3% (Few people have heard of this variety, even among Rioja connoisseurs. It is not grown anywhere else in the world, and stands out for its purple color, anthocyanin content, and green pepper aromas with balsamic accents.)
White grape varieties
Viura 68.7% (Chief among the white varieties in Rioja. Very good with oak casks, and also enables winemakers to ferment musts in oak).
Malvasía 2.2% (This variety gives the wine an oily texture and great aromatic intensity.)
Garnacha Blanca 3.6% (This may well be the result of a mutation of the red Garnacha tinta. Depending on the warm or cool region, the variety shows different traits of its character. From high alcoholic to delicate with good acidity.)
Tempranillo Blanco 12,6% (Result of a natural genetic mutation which was discovered in 1988 in an old vineyard. It is found nowhere else in the world, only in Rioja. Characterized by hints of tropical fruit, banana, and flowers).
Maturana Blanca 0.6% (The oldest grape variety in Rioja, first mentioned in 1622. Its outstanding characteristics are: low pH, high acidity, and low potassium levels.)
Turruntés 0.1% (What should not be confused with the grape of the same name grown in Argentina. Its DNA shows that it is more like Albillo Mayor. The variety is characterized by low strength, high acidity, and low pH).
Chardonnay 2.6% (One of the most popular grape varieties in the world. Its birthplace is Burgundy. The low level of oxidation makes Chardonnay ideal for barrel aging).
Sauvignon Blanc 3.3% (One of the best French white grapes. Its flesh is quite dense and very aromatic. Sauvignon Blanc produces elegant wines with high acidity.)
Verdejo 5,4% (from Rueda. Wines based on Verdejo have herbaceous and fruity nuances, supported by a powerful alcoholic content with a compensating high acidity).
Who's the best?
The best-known wineries are Marqués de Murrieta, López de Heredia, La Rioja Alta, Marques de Riscal, and, more recently, Telmo Rodríguez. In 2022 La Rioja Alta became the fourth most popular wine brand in the world on the Most Admired Wine Brands list. Every year Drinks International publishes a list of the 50 most prestigious wine companies in the world. This list includes such wineries as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Chateau Margaux, Vega Sicilia, Penfolds, and many others. In our opinion, the wines of Gran Reserva 890 and Gran Reserva 904 were the cornerstones that helped enter this prestigious ranking. Terroir, own vineyards, old vines (over 40 years), production only in the best years, a careful aging process in American oak barrels of own production: six years in the case of Gran Reserva 890 and four years for Gran Reserva 904, all these factors bring La Rioja Alta wines to a world level.