la rioja alta

AMAZING RED FOR UNDER $20? ESPAÑA, POR SUPESTO

We wrote a longer piece as an email a while ago, but for a variety of reasons we haven’t ‘pulled the trigger’ as yet. This is not to say that we won’t send an email in the future, but given the uncertain supply lines these days, we don’t want this to disappear before we’ve had a chance to mention it because, in its way, its special.

We know that, while we have been ambassadors for Spanish wines going way back, there are still folks that haven’t ridden the Spanish train yet. For those folks, a little background. La Rioja Alta has been around since 1890. They have had a long time to figure things out. There’s always a fear the old companies will lose their edge over time but, according to an article in the Wine Advocate, they invested some “nine million Euros in improving their vineyards and winery, including an optical sorting table” not long ago. Nobody is resting on their laurels at this address.

The easiest part of the equation is the production itself. Rioja is produced in a warm, sunny place with cool nights (ideal for wine grapes in preserving balancing acidity) and is released with bottle age at a fraction of what equivalent quality reds (without any bottle age) from elsewhere sell for. As more and more folks figure that out, there will be continually less Rioja to go around.

Here we have the La Rioja Alta Rioja Vina Alberdi 2016, a 5- year-old red from 40-year-old estate vines planted in chalk and clay soils. By definition it is given two years of bottle age in American oak barrels that is coopered right there on the estate. The price point is around $20. Unbelievable? In most places, yes. In Spain, at La Rioja Alta, it is the way of things.

This 100% Tempranillo did not come as a surprise to us because we are quite familiar with their work. These guys have been doing this for a long time. We reported some four years ago that, even among an enormously successful run of wines here, their 2010 Alberdi did seem to have another gear and surpassed anything we’ve tasted prior. We feel the same way about the 2016.

We have stated our thoughts on 2016. It is a fantastic vintage is the southern Rhone, Piedmont, Tuscany, Bordeaux, and, yes, Spain. The balance of fruit, tannin and acidity is extraordinary, the wine appearing almost seamless front to back. There is both power and finesse to the fruit cores of the 2016s from Rioja.

The La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva Vina Alberdi 2016 is rich, dark, sleek, and long. This bottling, as we have said, has typically one of the most dependable in this price range from anywhere. But, like the 2010, this particular effort is special, and in fact may be better by virtue of its fleshier mid-palate and concentrated fruit than that memorable 2010. It is also remarkably versatile with food.

We’d point out that this wine is usually tasted in the context of its higher level siblings. We first had this one at an event showcasing the entire La Rioja Alta portfolio including some flashy library bottlings. Even in that disadvantageous environment, this wine made a big impression on our us. That was reconfirmed at a more recent sampling. Simply, this can be a core piece of anyone’s wine matrix. It has been a consistent part of mine over the last few months.

Apparently Vinous’ Josh Reynolds, who gave this one as high a mark as he has given any Vina Alberdi, is on board. He said this, “Glistening ruby-red. Spice-tinged red fruit and floral aromas pick up hints of coconut and succulent herbs with air. Silky and expressive on the palate, offering appealingly sweet cherry and raspberry flavors and a spicecake nuance that builds steadily in the glass. Closes long and smooth, with repeating florality and subtle tannins that come in late…92 points.”

The complex fruit, elegance, lift and refined tannins make for a marvelous drink. The remarkable food versatility is a bonus. We’ve often said amongst ourselves when tasting wines like this, given all of the other reasons we have mentioned…quality…price…bottle age, “Why doesn’t everyone drink Spanish wines?” A no-brainer while it lasts.

ULTIMATE ‘INSIDER’ RIOJA FROM LA RIOJA ALTA

We see ‘wine clubs’ operating in California all the time. The direct-to-consumer programs are the life blood of a number of domestic producers. But wine selling in Europe seems to generally work rather differently. In most top chateaux in Bordeaux, for example, there are no gifts shops or trinkets, and you can’t even buy a bottle of wine. So the idea of direct-to-consumer/wine club type programs doesn’t even cross our minds when we’re over the ‘pond’. That’s why when Kyle saw a bunch of wines displayed at one of our favorite Spanish wineries, La Rioja Alta, that he had never seen before, he posed a question.

“What are these?” he asked. The Bodega answered that these wines, designated Reserva Club de Cosecheros (loosely translated ‘vintage reserve club’), were specially selected barrels for wine club members of the bodega that committed to about a half barrel per year (roughly twelve cases) and received a yearly allocation of the wines. The wines were not available for sale in any other fashion, but the seed was planted. If these were specially selected for ‘members only’ from one of our long-time favorite Spanish bodegas, what’s the downside? Answer, there isn’t one.

That impression was pretty much burned into the memory banks and the search was on. Recently, one of our purveyors, the one who has been the source of the lion’s share of the great old Riojas we have been proffering over the last six or seven years, presented us with a list that included several bottlings of Reserva Club de Cosecheros. We bought every bottle they had of the six best vintages without hesitation. We opened a bottle of each literally right offf the truck. It was Kyle’s gift to himself for his 50^th birthday and the tasting was fascinating for Rioja-heads like us.

It was a memorable showing of classic Spanish Rioja, with the general style falling somewhere between Las Rioja Alta’s refined, lifted Vina Ardanza and the more fruit forward, though still unmistakably Rioja ‘904’ Gran Reserva. Tasting them side-by-side, it was a fantastic demonstration of the differences between these outstanding vintages, with the youngest (the 2004) starting to really open up and the oldest (the 1989) showing some resolved tannins and more tender edges but still with, as Clive Coates used to say, ‘bags of life’ left at 30 years of age. Sadly, the 1994 was a solo bottle but we’ve got reasonable quantities of the other (3 to 5 cases each).

Don’t bother looking for scores. The press doesn’t see these, and what would be the point anyway since they are only for club members. These likely came from restaurant ‘members’ or private collections in Spain. In fact, almost no one sees these outside of the winery and their club. We’re pretty confident in saying that these are probably the only bottles in the country. If you are a Rioja lover, these are a must…classic old school elegance, bright fruit, ageless demeanors. These are special, insider wines.

We’re not the least bit pressed to sell them but feel obligated to give the folks who support our expansive Spanish program a chance at something you don’t see every day, or in this case ever. We’d suggest nibbling on a variety of vintages instead of focusing on just one as we think that will provide the most fulfilling experience. In any case, give these a serious look soon. Prices range from $69.98-79.98, certainly great prices for one-of-a-kind reservas with this kind of bottle age. Since we have never sold them before, we have no idea how long they might be around. Then again, we might come to our senses and decide to keep them. Salud.

La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva Club de Cosecheros 2004

La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva Club de Cosecheros 2001

La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva Club de Cosecheros 1995

La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva Club de Cosecheros 1991

La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva Club de Cosecheros 1989

SUPERB ‘BURGUNDIAN’ RIOJA

The wines of La Rioja Alta have been ‘fan favorites’ around here for quite some time, with the majority of the rather impressive sales numbers coming from their La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva Viña Ardanza and Gran Reserva 904. But this group owns three other estates as well, one in Rias Baixas to make Albariño, one in Ribera del Duero, and another separate estate in Rioja Alavesa called Torre de Oña. The Torre de Oña estate hasn’t gotten near as much attention over the years, but that may be about to change as they have significantly kicked up their game with a new project.

The main La Rioja Alta estate was founded in 1890. But more than a century later, in 1995, they decided to create a new estate in the cooler, higher, and arguably more prestigious Rioja Alavesa. Here the intent was to employ a ‘chateau’ concept, controlling the viticulture and making wine from their estate grapes. We’ve had interesting efforts on occasion from Torre de Oña but nothing really groundbreaking. All the while, they were studying the specific parcels on the estate that produced the best grapes with the intent of bottling a single vineyard effort that best reflected their unique terroir.

While that doesn’t sound all that innovative, the ‘chateau’ type operation wasn’t all that common in Rioja until recently. Now folks like Artadi and Telmo Rodriguez are lobbying to have even more specific delineations to village areas and specific parcels. In any case, the folks at Torre de Oña decided that, in 2012, it was time to pull the trigger on their first single vineyard bottling from the estate. The reviews were encouraging for seemed something of an experimental first-swing. It got supportive words and a 92 point score from Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez.

The winery skipped 2013 but deemed the conditions near perfect in 2014 to create the sequel, and what a revelation it turned out to be! Since the Advocate review explains all of the technical details, we’ll defer a moment. From Luis Gutierrez, “The 2014 Martelo is produced with the grapes from their oldest vines, mostly Tempranillo (95%, the balance Mazuelo, Garnacha and Viura), put through a cold soak after alcoholic fermentation then in barrique for a slow malolactic fermentation of 96 days. This was followed by an élevage in 80% American and 20% French oak barrels for two years, during which time it was racked four times…

“It has incredible aromatics with surprising notes of beef blood, iron and meat with tons of fruit, as Martelo is the vineyard where they find more fruit. This is a very elegant, aromatic and fine Rioja (they decided to bottle it in a Burgundy bottle) and it’s not a coincidence, because that is what they are looking for. The palate follows the same path of finesse, balance and freshness. A very impressive Rioja. Bravo!…94 points”

Bravo, indeed. The Burgundian comparisons hold remarkably true. Texturally, this is silky, elegant, feminine (can we say that any more?), and supremely satisfying. The fruit leans a little bluer than a ‘real’ Burgundy but the finesse, tender mouth feel, and fresh undercurrent of the palate seduces and the delicate spice and mineral tones add complexity. Thoroughly delicious right out of the gate, and a bottle one won’t want to end. The comparison with Burgundy kind of stops there because, in reality, you would be hard pressed to find a Burgundy as good as the Torre de Ona Rioja Reserva Finca Martino 2014 for this kind of price. Simply gorgeous.

RIGHTEOUS RIOJA

Over the years A LOT of La Rioja Alta juice has passed through these doors. But, for reasons we can’t really put our finger on, not a lot of this particular bottling. Part of that is that it isn’t bottled every year. In this case, this is also the first Vina Arana (2012) to have a Gran Reserva designation, making definitely worth highlighting even as we have an epic version of the Vina Ardanza (2010) on the floor.

As the winery tells it, “A vintage marked by drought, resulting in very heterogeneous grapes. Late September rains had a very positive effect on vine development, resulting in perfect ripening. The grapes arrived in perfect condition with a great balance between alcoholic strength and polyphenols, leading to wines of superb quality, with good polyphenolic structure and magnificent aromatic tipicity, key traits for making aged wines and determinant in our decision to make our first ever Viña Arana Gran Reserva.” In simple terms, this Rioja rocks!

The star of the show is Tempranillo (95%) from 40-year-old vines from Las Cuevas, El Palo and Las Monjas vineyards in Rodezno complemented with 5% Graciano from the Montecillo estate in Fuenmayor. This is everything you could ask from a Rioja in the classic sense. There’s plenty of round, supple-yet-lifted and energetic plum and blackcurrant fruit with flecks of spice, tobacco, damp earth, and dried orange. Impressive from start to finish, harmonious, and textbook Rioja, this is one where the bottle just doesn’t seem quite big enough. Super deliciosa!

James Suckling clearly ‘got it’, commenting, “Brambleberries, licorice, dried blueberries, cedar, tobacco, smoke, vanilla, dried citrus and even a hint of grapefruit. The laser-sharp acidity evinces a real sense of purity, and the tannins are really edgy and structured. Full-bodied but very elegant and stylish. The finish goes on and on, thanks to the shimmering acidity. Beautiful now…95 points.”

LA RIOJA ALTA’S BRILLIANT 2009 GRAN RESERVA 904

It doesn’t take a lot to convince us about the quality of wines from this producer. As you probably know, we’ve been fans for a long time. It’s hard for us to even imagine why wines like La Rioja Alta aren’t the first choice of most wine drinkers. We have worn our affection for Rioja on our sleeves for, what, a couple of decades? La Rioja Alta has been a house favorite for a long time as well and is one of the bastions of quality juice in the ‘traditional’ style. They perform well at all of the price levels at which they play, from their Reserva Viña Ardanza and Viña Alberdi to their super-premium Gran Reservas 904 and 890. You’ve got high quality, very modest prices relative to similar examples in other genres, and those wacky Spaniards even throw in a bit of bottle age at no extra charge. Where’s the down side?

Not long ago we wrote an offer for the sensational 2009 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva. The pitch was pretty straight forward. How about a 96-point (from James Suckling) Rioja in a plush, ripe style (2009 was a warm vintage), with a few years of bottle age, for under $30? Pretty compelling, no? Correspondingly, we sold quite a bit of it. No surprise there. In the piece we wrote about the fact that we tasted two wines that day, the Vina Ardanza 2009 and the Gran Reserva 904 2009. It was one spectacular day of ‘research’.

It was also a little bit of a surprise. Alongside the 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2010 vintages in Rioja, the 2009, while certainly no slouch, simply isn’t thought of as an elite vintage. Apparently La Rioja Alta did not get that memo because both of these wines were among the most engaging out of the gate that we had ever had from these folks over great number of releases. Plush, packed with supple but substantial cassis, black cherry and spice character, ripe tannins and well tucked in supporting acidity, If you were going to ‘design’ a super sexy Rioja, this pair of 2009s would be great models.

La Rioja Alta is one of Spain’s greatest and most beloved wineries. It produces classically elegant and polished Rioja wines that are always released after quite some time aging in their cellars. They do all the work, you don’t pay the price.

The variety of vineyards La Rioja Alta has to work with allows them to maintain the vintage’s unique imprint on the wine while still maintaining a simply ridiculous level of quality for the money. As far as hedonism goes, the bodega hit home runs with these two. Hey, we’ll gladly admit that we would drink either one of them with relish. We know that many of you out there prefer to buy at the top-level, in which case the 904 is the clear choice.

The 904 is a complete, engaging, stylish beverage with enormous food versatility yet a roundness and complexity that will reward those that just want to haul off and drink it. The reviewers seem to share our excitement with this effort. James Suckling wrote, “This is a driven and super tight Gran Reserva with dark berries and hints of spice and cedar. A spicy red-pepper undertone and some dried flowers. Full to medium body, integrated tannins and a superb finish. A great wine.- 97 Points!”

Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez was, as usual, a bit more loquacious. He offers, “Time flies, and the 904 for sale is already the 2009 Gran Reserva 904, as they didn’t bottle it in 2008. They are only going to bottle their top wines in very good and excellent vintages, so there will be a 2010 and 2011 but no 2012, 2013 or 2014. This super classical cuvée showcases the wines from Haro, silky and elegant after long aging in oak and a good future in bottle. 2009 was a powerful vintage, ripe but with good balance. The blend is approximately 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, fermented in stainless steel with a 78-day natural malolactic. The aging was in four-year-old American oak barrels crafted by their own coopers; the wines aged from April 2010 until April 2014. During that time, the wine was racked every six months, to be finally bottled in November 2014. This is usually my favorite wine from the portfolio, where the balance between aging and youth reaches its highest point. It’s developed but it keeps some fruit character, plenty of spices and balsamic aromas. The palate is polished but has some clout, with clean, focused flavors and a long, spicy and tasty finish. This represents good value for the quality it delivers…95+ points.”

The only question left to answer is for the ‘numbers’ set who would say that, since the Ardanza got 96 from James Suckling and 93+ from Advocate, as opposed to the 97 and 95+ respectively for the 904, why would one spend the additional funds for a point or two? We could unleash a lengthy argument on several fronts but, for time’s sake, because it’s better. It is from a different vineyard, with older vines (60 years as opposed to 30). It’s also a different blend (90% Tempranillo/10% Mazuelo in 904 compared to 80% Tempranillo/20% Garnacha in Ardanza).

There’s more complexity, structure, and a different profile in the 904, plus it is a different expression of Rioja. It is simply not, in our minds, an either/or proposition. Ardanza is one of the best $30 wines in the world, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anything in 2009 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904’s price category that was better for the fare. You need both! It’s a wonderful ‘problem’ to have.