The next pair of wines in my Rioja class was two crianzas, one in a classic style and one in a modern style, both in the 10-12 euro range. 

The Rioja style issue is a favourite theme for me to bring out in my tastings.  Many typical wine-drinkers are unaware of the stylistic differences that lie hidden in Rioja.  These comparisons of different Rioja style are some of the most revelatory tastings I hold…some clients are astonished at the difference.

These huge differences that are rarely reflected on the label cause real dilemmas for the consumer when buying or ordering Rioja.  All the styles have their validity…there are good and bad wines in each style….but often the consumer gets a wine they did not expect. 

This is a subject that remains in the background in discussions on Spanish wine here in Spain.  Foreign authors almost always address it, but it is not given the press it is due within Spain.  This is a great disservice to the general wine-drinking public. 

I think amongst Spanish wine trade it is assumed that pointing out the differences will hasten the demise of the traditional styles.  I have found that most clients, including Spaniards, prefer the modern styles when tasted head to head with the traditional styles….but I admit it is a tough comparison…an elegant, soft wine will often lose out face to face with an extracted, modern style.  Besides some Spaniards who prefer the traditional style, I often find that quite a few British clients prefer it as well…perhaps because they were weaned on the stuff.

How would I sum up the difference between these two styles? 

There are many more than two styles as many wines are somewhere on the spectrum between the two….and few of the classic wines are as classic as they once were.  See below for a generalization of the two basic styles.

Classic Rioja is aged for much longer in oak and then in bottle before release.  The oak is often American and older. Oak notes (older, oxidative ones) usually dominate the fruit, both in the nose and the mouth.  The mouth is usually soft, with good acidity and very smooth tannins.  The fruit can be very pretty, but is often faded by the long oak aging.  Classic styles are usually released when they are ready to consume, though they often do not improve further. 

Modern Rioja is aged for shorter periods in newer oak, often a blend of American and French and sometimes 100% French.  The fruit aromas are quite intense though new oak notes are also evident in both the nose and the mouth.  The mouth is more intense, with intense fruit and more robust tannins.  The acidity, though sufficient, is usually less than in the classic styles and the alcohol level is usually higher.  Modern Rioja’s are often released much more rapidly to the market and frequently need further polish time in bottle.

My classic crianza:
Viña Alberdi 2000 by Bodegas La Rioja Alta
Attractive violet and strawberry nose with oaky sweetness…very clean but mellow, medium intensity.  Mouth more disappointing…though there is some nice fruit, tobacco, and soft oaky notes, the aromas fade quickly and leave a rusty metallic finish.  Tannins are soft, but the overall impression is extreme shortness.
Rating: 14 points*

My modern crianza:
La Montesa 2004 by Bodega Palacios Remondo
Intense, attractive nose of fresh plum, black cherry and spice.  Not complex, but very compelling.  The mouth was a little disappointing, nice fruit up front but a little hollow on the mid-palate.  The tannins are very intense and a little rough, though the finish is quite long.  Needs a little time in bottle…should improve.
Rating: 15 points*

Conclusions:
Both wines were quite nice but fairly simple in their separate styles.  The Alberdi’s main defects were the short metallic finish and the pale fruit, while the Montesa was a little hollow and tannic.  I must confess that my palate found the Montesa slightly better…but I know I am biased towards the moderns.  The stylistic differences I describe above hold true in these wines, but less so than at the reserva level. The Alberdi has only 24 months in oak (versus 12 months for the Montesa), so it still retains quite a lot of fruit.

*Ratings (20 point system):  10-13 poor, 13-15 fair, 15-17 good, 18-19 excellent, 20 exceptional