93pt Rioja Bargain from the Great 2010 Vintage!

We could talk about the fabulous 2010 vintage in Rioja as ‘the gift that keeps on giving’.  But in truth it can’t keep giving at this level for all that much longer.  Even the greatest and most abundant vintages eventually come to an end at the Reserva level.  It has been a great run, but we don’t have a huge back stock of the outstanding 2010 Reservas anymore.  That makes this little number from Finca la Emperatriz even a little more important find as it is now officially late in the game.

Located 12 kilometers from Haro (aka Rioja heaven), the property is nestled between the Sierra de la Cantabria and Sierra de la Demanda mountain ranges.  Finca La Emperatriz is located in the northwestern end of the Rioja region, at an elevation of nearly 1900 feet above sea level on one of the highest plateaus in the Rioja Alta.  Everything produced here, from their smallest wine (a Crianza), to their four single plot bottlings, is, like the Marques de Murrieta wine from last week, all from estate grapes.

The estate itself has a little bit of history.  One wine made in Baños de Rioja won one of the awards of the wine contest at the Universal Exposition of 1878 (Paris).  It was the wine entered by Eugenia de Montijo, Empress of France and the owner of this vineyard with outstanding potential.  It is from this little snippet of history that the estate gets its name (La Empertriz means ‘the Empress’).  In 1996, the Hernáiz family purchased the estate, and brothers Eduardo and Victor Hernáiz took charge of the project.

Our focus today is on the ‘sweet spot’ of their line in our minds.  The Finca La Emperatriz Rioja Reserva 2010 is the highest quality and value play here, no doubt helped by the sensational 2010 vintage.  It’s that old Rioja story that never gets old, classy wine released with bottle age at an extremely attractive price, in this case with some pretty enthusiastic reviews in support (Wine Advocate 93, Vinous 91).

The blend here is 94% Tempranillo from 60-year-old vines with the balance made up of Garnacha, Viura (a white grape that helps with aromatics and freshness in the blend) and Graciano.  The grapes are selected in the vineyard and then are given a cold soak for 2 days in stainless steel, followed by fermentation at a controlled temperature with a gentle pumpover to extract color and tannins.  The wine is aged in 70% American oak and 30% French oak barrels and part of the wine goes through malolactic fermentation in the barrel.

The Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez summed up the wine stylistically in this way, “I think the 2010 Finca la Emperatriz Reserva could summarize what a textbook Rioja Reserva should be, combining the best of the traditional and modern styles...It has the spicy, smoky notes with bright red fruit hinting on blood oranges and signs of developing more complexity and nuances. The medium-bodied palate features grainy tannins, good freshness and length. I see that I liked the 2008, and I think this continues the same line...Keep it up! ...93 Points”.

That makes it tied for Wine Advocate’s highest-rated Reserva of this glorious vintage. That, is a big deal.

Of the merely six other 93 pointers from the 2010 vintage, we have bought and sold five of them. There literally are no more…

We’d summarize this sleek Rioja as the smooth, balanced, together beverage that makes it a great choice for all manner of foods, though its balance and elegance does not preclude drinking it alone.  It hits all the notes and has sufficient size, but its polish is what wins the day.  Like many Riojas, it delivers a lot for the dinero.