Spain: Rioja DOCa Flashcards
Rioja DOCa : Climate and Vineyard Management
- north end of Spain
-100kms long NW and SW along the River Ebro
-approx 40kms wide in some places
-to the north is Sierra de la Demanda which shelters vines from the warmer center of the country - more rain is the higher altitudes
-Valley of Ebro is open and gains some Mediterranean influence - tributaries of the River Ebro have diverse soils , aspects and micro climates
-most vineyards are in the commonuity of LA Rijoa , some in Alava and some in Navarra
**3 zones :
Rijoa Alta: largest zone, continetal with some maritime infuence . Low altitudes and warm, alluvial soils,
-NW corner is cooler ansd wetter with calcerous soils
- South is 700m high ,cool and wet with ferrous clay 0- more water retnetive
**Rioja Alavesa :
-smallest zone, west of Logrono , near Basque country
-cool and wet
700m on calcerous soil
**Rioja Oriental :
-originally called Rijo Baja - meaning low -
-aroudn the River Ebro, the sites are low and warm, dry
-To the south of the zone the vines are up 500-1000m and are cool - calcerous and ferrous clay
-most at risk for climate change
-blending is important to create a house style in the varied vintages
-2012, 66,000ha of vines and growing
-most are VSP now that they have funsding from the EU
Rioja still have many old bush vines over 100 yrs old
Rioja DOCa : Tempranillo
- most planted grape
-88% of plantings
-Vigourous , and with irrigation can produce high yields
-being replanted with Garnacha - best in Rioja Alta and Alvesa on the cool clay soils and high altitudes
-provides raspberry, black plum, med to high tannins and acid
Rioja DOCa : Other Black Grapes
Garnacha
- 8% plantings
Well suited to drought
Planted in the Oriental
Adds ripe strawberry, lower tannins and fuller body /abv
Graciano -
-Late ripening
Drought resistant
-small yielding and fungal disease hazards
- High acid, tannins and fresh black fruit , leafy character
2% of plantings
Mazuelo
-aka Carignan
-High acid and tannins
2% only
**Maturana Tinta. -
**aka Trousseau
Tiny plantings
Deep purple high acid, cranberry and blackberry
Rioja DOCa : Viura
-aka Macabeo
-68% of plantings
-late budding, late ripeing and suited to warm, dry sites
Susceptible to botrytis
-High yielding
-SS tanks , simple whites
- when low yields, in oak can make wines with complexity and long ageing potential
Rioja DOCa : Other White Grapes
**Tempranillo Blanco -
**White mutation of Temp discovered in 1988
13% of plantings
High acid, lemon, grapefruit and pineapple
Malvasia and Garnacha Blanca - used in blending for diversity
usually oak matured and mid to prem prices
Verdejo and SB - lend aroma in blends
Rioja DOCa : Red Winemaking
- ageing regultions have a sdignificant impact on the market
- Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva must be in 225L barriques
-practices in the vineyard are not stipualted - from one producer to the next style, quality and price can range in a Gran Reserva wine
-in the 90ās prodcuers launched prem wines labelling them without a category - Low yields, selected parcedls and ripe, sturcutred wines in French oak called Vinos de Autor - far away from the American oak wines aromas of dried fruit , mushrrom , cured meats, vanilla and coconut
- these two styles still exist today
-common trend is to highloight the quality and character of a site
** earlier harvest dates, gentler extraction, old and larger oak, and shorter maturation
French oak is now more common than American oak
many small gorwers and co-ops means blanding from different areas of the DOCa is common and neccessary for large producers
-eg. Garnacha from the Rioja Oriental and Tempranillo from the higher Rioja and Alavesa = very good to outstanding blends
Trending = single vineyard, old vine field blend with the name of the vineyard, village or zone on the lavel
Rioja DOCa : White Winemaking
- Inexpensive , simple unoaked Rioja for early drinking in SS tanks with cooler temperatures made from high yields of Viura and Verdejo, Temp Blanca and SB
These are acceptable to good
Mid priced prem wines - oaked style
Avoid MLFC to retain freshness
Viura is oftern used , at lower yields and with lees contact
The wines are Medium plus body, acidity and subtle citrus and smoky, nutty complexity
Good to very good
Very old classic oxidative styles are still produced - they sell for super prem prices and are outstanding with tertiary notes of nuts , honey, dreid fruits and high acidity
eg. Castillo Ygay
Rioja DOCa: Wine Law and Regulations
- New legistlation in 2017, means producers can now use labels :
**Vino de Zona -
all grapes must be sourced from a single zone - eg .Rioja Alta
-15% can come from outstide the zone on the border if the producers can prove they have using the grapes for over 10years
-vinification, bottling and ageing must take place in the zone
**Vino de Municipio -
-must be from the village or group of villlage in. the muncipiality
also same exception as above
-All vinification, bottling and agein must take place in the munipial
Labels may indicate the muncipialtiy with the option of the zone of production
**Vinedo Singular -
-single vineyard
-vinification, botteling and ageing must take place in the same winery,
Producer must have owned the vineyard for at least 10years and the vines must be min. 35 yrs old with repsected yield levels
-must be hand harvest and treated in a sustainable way
-some restrictions on pruning
-audits of traceability and authorised by a tsting panel
-labels may have the zone / amd vineyard/ estate
Rioja DOCa : Ageing Requirements
**-Oak barrels must be max. 225L
barriques **
Generic - no ageing requirements
Crianza. -
RED : 2 years / 1 year in Barrel ( from 1st October of Harvest ) / no bottle
WHITE and ROSE :2 years ( from 1st of October year of harvest ) /** 6** in barrel / no bottle
Reserva :
RED: 3 years / 12 months in barrel / 6 months in bottle
WHITE and ROSE: 2 years / **6 **in oak
**Grand Reserva : **
RED: 5 years / 2 yrs in barrel /2 yrs in bottle
WHITE and ROSE : 4 years / 6 months in oak
Rioja DOCa : Wine Business
- made up of small vineyard sites
- small 1ha to 2 ha site
- 2020, 40% of the grape growesr sold to co-ops in the region
- sold on to merchant business for branding
- Wineries of all sizes eg. 10 producers make up 47% of all sales
- 84% sell small voumes
- many producers are also merchantes , and have some of their own vineyards but buy in fruit as well
- Sales are slowing increasing in the export market - 37% of sales
- Top markets UK, Germany and USA
-Crianza is the most poular in the domestic
Reserva and Gran Reserva for the exports
-whites and rose ( the highest quallity in Spain ) are rapidly growing
-prices are higher than anywhere in Spain but still lower than Italy and France
-Consejo Regualdor puts a strong emphaise on the marketing of the wines with local market , trade and consumer tastings
**Value for money and Diversity
-Bodegas Familliares de Rioja is a group of like minded producers whoo promote their wines under the heading -
40 small to med wineries
Campaign issues such as min stock holdings eg. 22,500L is needed to label Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva
Rioja nā Roll - group of small first eneration producers who are focused on quality , vineyard sites and promoting a different perspective of Rioja
