Rioja, Rioja
The energy and vision that is driving the Spanish wine industry to new heights of excellence has reinvigorated Rioja too. In 1991 it became the only Denominacion de Origen Calificada in recognition of the high quality of its wines and the quality control imposed.
Rioja's reputation was established in the late 19th century when Bordeaux negociants began shopping around here in the wake of a phylloxera crisis in France.
Its location in north-east Spain is ideally suited to prime grape cultivation. Climatic extremes are rare, and the Sierra de Cantabria to the north and west shelter the area from the harsh Atlantic wind and rain. The altitude ranges from 300m in the east to nearly 800m to the north west, while the average annual rainfall is between 300mm and 500mm.
The region is divided into three zones. Rioja Alta lies in the Ebro river valley to the west of the provincial capital, Logrono. Rioja Alavesa, north of the Ebro, is part of the Rioja wine region but falls outside the Rioja province, being in the Basque province of Alava. Rioja Baja stretches south and east of Logrono.
Many of the best grapes are grown on the cool slopes and in the clay soils of the Rioja Alta and limestone soils of Rioja Alavesa. In Rioja Baja a more Mediterranean climate prevails, with temperatures that reach 35ºC.
Rioja's vineyards, in the hands of about 14 000 growers, tend to be small and sparsely cultivated with low bushvines that are typically old and gnarled. About 80% of the 60 000 hectares under vine are planted to red varieties. Tempranillo, an aromatic, indigenous grape, is the most widely planted and is particularly well suited to the Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. Garnacha (Grenache) grapes are grown mostly in the hotter vineyards of Rioja Baja. Most Rioja red wines are blends of Tempranillo and Grenache. Also grown are Graciano, Mazuelo (Carignan) and some Cabernet Sauvignon. The most planted white variety is Viura (Macabeo), followed by Malvasia.
Though change is afoot, few growers make their own wines, and most wines are produced by merchant bodegas or co-operatives with modern stainless steel tanks and temperature control facilities.
Barrel maturation has always played a key role in Rioja wines. Regulations
specify the shape and size of the barrels (a 225 litre barrica bordelesa) and
the minimum ageing period for each category: at least a year for Crianza and
Reserva red wines, two years in the case of a Gran Reserva red. American oak,
for decades Rioja's first choice, imparting the distinctive, soft, vanilla flavour
typically associated with Rioja wines, is being superseded by French oak. Barrels
are used many times.
The length of time an oak-aged Rioja must spend in tank or bottle before the
wine can be released is also specified. Crianzas require an additional year,
Reservas two and Gran Reservas at least three.
For whites the ageing period is six months, with a further year in bottle for Crianza, two years for Reserva, and four for Gran Reserva, but the practice of oak-ageing whites is tapering off significantly.
A certain Latin disregard for regulations as well as a revision in winemaking techniques has resulted in extended maceration periods and a reduced focus on ageing that is producing generous, expressive reds with a more modern, lush fruitiness.
Bodegas are beginning to grow their own grapes and some are quietly experimenting with blends that incorporate non-traditional grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon. The whites too have moved from being bland and insipid to exuding vibrancy and distinction.
The new generation of wines reject the old principles in much the same way that Italy's Super Tuscans dodge the DOC system. Ripeness and structure are replacing the smooth, oaky aesthetic.
As Robert Joseph puts it, "Suddenly, like a car whose driver has just found an extra gear, the wines have begun to leap ahead - into often largely uncharted territory. There are traditionalists who would prefer all this pioneering business to stop, but the wine genie is out of the bottle and there seems little chance of anyone forcing it back inside again."
According to Wine Spectator, the standout label is Finca Allende, a family-owned bodega that grows its own grapes. Look out for their Rioja Calvario 2000 ("muscular but graceful with ripe blackberry, licorice and nutmeg") and Rioja 1999.
A white well worth tracking down is Rioja White Barrel Fermented 2002 from Bodegas Muga ("lovely echo of traditional whites with a waxy texture and marzipan and lemon curd flavours").
WEBSITES
www.totallyspain.com
www.riojainternet.com
www.riojawine.com; www.larioja.lu
FACT FILE
Grapes: Red -- Tempranillo, Garnacha (Grenache)
White - Viura (Macabeo)
Soils: Ranging from clay and limestone to alluvial.
Climate: Ranging from cool and temperate to Mediterranean. Few climatic extremes,
though summers in the south and east can be fiercely hot and dry, and winter
frost and snow are not uncommon.
Rainfall: Between 300 and 500mm annually.
