Gone are the poor wines of a generation ago (well, not completely gone, but none to be found here anyway)replaced by exciting wines that look to Bordeaux and the New World, while not losing site of a rare and unique heritage.
Rioja Vines stretching to a vanishing point
A new generation of winemakers has grappled control from the old guard and with this has come the pursuit of quality over quantity. These young winemakers are combining old vines and old varieties with new technologies and new philosophies. Nowhere is this more evident than at Palacios Remondo estate in Rioja, headed up by Alvaro Palacios who cut his teeth at Chateau Petrus and in Priorat. His La Montesa Rioja is a headline grabbing superstar.
Ribera del Duero is home to Spain’s most celebrated and most expensive wine Vega Sicilia. The vineyards line the bank of the Duero at an altitude higher than Rioja, meaning cooler nights. The wines here have a modernity and ‘newness’ that is rarely seen in Rioja. Toro, west of here, takes the Ribera del Duero style and runs with it. Fast. The wines have a meaty character here, Ribera ultra! Between the two lies the region of Rueda. Investment in whites made from Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc is the story here.
This vast and varied region of Rioja lies in the north of Spain, close to the border with France. There are over 60,000 hectares of vines planted, making it the largest producer of quality wine in Spain by far. As with much of Europe, vines were cultivated back in Roman times, but the wine industry only looked towards export markets in the 1900s, when the nearby port of Bilbao flourished, and the Bordeaux merchants arrived to purchase local wines in order supplement production from their own phylloxera-ravished vineyards.
Today, despite intensified competition from Ribera del Duero and Priorat, consumer demand remains strong and there are over 1,200 bodegas. Rioja is a DOCa or ’Denominaçion de Origen Calificada’. The climate and soils here vary widely, as expected in such a large vineyard area. The region is divided into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa. Furthest to the east is Rioja Baja, which benefits significantly from the Mediterranean influence, meaning it is hotter in the summer. The dry conditions and rich, fertile soils have led to a reputation as a high-volume producer, rather than a high-quality one.
To the west are the vineyards of Rioja Alta, which are situated on limestone and clay around the Ebro River. Here, the altitude is much higher (up to 800 metres) and the temperatures are accordingly cooler, with more rainfall. This is a more marginal area, and vine-growing is only possible in the cooler spots due to the sheltering influence of the Sierra de Cantabria mountain range, which protects the vineyards from the harsh Atlantic weather from the northwest, beyond Bilbao. Rioja Alavesa shares some of the characteristics of Rioja Alta, but has a greater degree of limestone in the soils and vineyards at even higher altitude in parts. The wines surrounding the village of Laguardia have a fresher feel, often with considerable finesse. Alavesa sits within the province of Alava, which is proudly Basque in its language, administration and culture.