Wine School, a monthly column, invites you to drink wine with Eric Asimov. In each installment, Mr. Asimov chooses a type of wine for you to try at home. After a month, Mr. Asimov posts his reaction to the wine and addresses readers’ thoughts and questions.
Spain is one of the most exciting countries for wine in the world. Though wine has been made there for centuries, only in the last 50 years has Spain begun to overcome a political and economic legacy that long held back quality, creativity and renewal. Aside from sherry, only one Spanish region has achieved an international reputation that lasted through the entire 20th century up to the present: Rioja.
Yet even Rioja has not been immune to the ferment that has recently lifted so many moribund Spanish regions into the modern international wine trade. Debates over style, viticulture, cellar techniques, label designations — even the very organization of the trade — have transformed Rioja from a somewhat sleepy area into a vital, energetic region. All sorts of Rioja are available now, from the most classic, made with singular traditional techniques and using a combination of indigenous grapes, tempranillo, garnacha, mazuelo and graciano; to wines made by more modern, though more homogenous, methods.
To understand the arc of Rioja’s evolution, I believe, one must begin with wines that skew toward the distinctively traditional, which are unlike any others. And so, this month we will explore Rioja Reservas, wines that are required to be aged for at least three years, including one in barrels, before they can be released. In some cases, though, producers will age these wines far longer before releasing them. This gives us the rare opportunity at Wine School to experience and discuss the effects of aging on wine.
wine critic, is talking about
Rioja this month. If you
would like to join the conversation, try one
of the bottles listed here and as you try them, ask yourself these questions.
They are:
La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Reserva 2005 (Skurnik Wines, New York) $33
R. López de Heredia Rioja Viña Bosconia Reserva 2003 (David Bowler Wine, New York) $35
Muga Rioja Reserva 2009 (Martin Scott Wines, Lake Success, N.Y.) $25
Other Reservas to seek out include Señorío de P. Peciña (superb if you can find it), CVNE’s Imperial and Viña Real, Marqués de Murrieta, Contino, López de Heredia’s Viña Tondonia, Remelluri, Luis Cañas and Faustino.
No doubt you’ll encounter many other Riojas. Some may be labeled “crianza,” which must be aged for two years, including one in barrels. Others may be called “gran reserva,” which require five years of aging, including two in barrels. Well-aged gran reservas can be sublime. Other Riojas will carry no age statement beyond the vintage date. These tend to come from more experimental producers who want to emphasize other traits in their wines.
The most traditional examples are aged in American oak, which seems to have a special affinity for Rioja. I’m generally not a fan of overt aromas and flavors of oak in wine. But Rioja is an exception. The mellow combination of aged wine with the gentle, cushioning effect of the oak is beautiful.
An earlier version of this article contained an outdated listing for the importer of Muga Rioja Reserva 2009. It is no longer Tempranillo.