Rioja Wine Styles Part 2: The Reservas
February 28th, 2008
Now we move on to the Reservas, both in the 18 euro price range. Once again I picked a true classic bodega, La Rioja Alta and a fully modern one; Palacios Remondo.
At the crianza level there is usually enough fruit in both classic and modern to satisfy the majority of palates, but at the reserva level the disparity in styles becomes more acute.
The primary reason is the disparity in oak aging grows wider. The modern reservas will generally have between 12 and 18 months of oak, while the classics will have at least 24, but many times much more. I this case our modern has only 12 months and our classic has 36 months!
Thirty six months in oak does not leave the fresh fruit taste most wine consumers today are accustomed to.
In fact our modern reserva is not a reserva at all! Though it has enough oak to be a reserva, it was released before the minimum period of bottle aging was attained…thus is merely has the “cosecha” label on the back. A reserva must have 3 years in the winery (12 months minimum in oak) before release. Many wineries are opting out of the traditional reserva system. It is being done for several reasons: it transmits a more modern image for the winery, gives more freedom to the wine-maker…it is also economically beneficial to release wines earlier.
Its dismays me that the issue of style in Rioja is not in the forefront of wine forums within Spain…never was this more obvious than in the introduction to the Rioja chapter in the Peñin Wine Guide 2007. José Peñin is Spain’s most recognizable wine critic and he releases a very useful annual guide to Spanish wines.
In the intro, not a single mention of the various styles comes up, yet he criticises the wineries that opt out of the reserva aging system…he says that it confuses consumers! I could agree, but I think that not knowing whether your 18 euro reserva wine has 18 or 36 months of oak aging is much more confusing for the consumer! Whether the label says reserva or not could be confusing but is certainly less so.
My classic reserva:
Viña Arlanza 2000 by Bodegas La Rioja Alta
Pleasant, attractive spice and dried fruit nose….lots of vanilla and cedar…quite complex. Mouth very disappointing…acidic, volatile, dry woody notes…little of the dried fruit that was in the nose. Very short finish.
Rating: 12 points
My modern reserva:
Propiedad 2005 by Bodega Palacios Remondo
Spicy new oak black fruit, plums and blackberry on the nose. Quite complex and very appealing. Big mouth, full and structured, good fruit but new oak and tannins have the upper hand. The fruit comes back in the longish finish, but tannins need polishing.
Rating: 15 points
Conclusions:
The modern was clearly the winner here. Propiedad is not my favourite Rioja….serious tannin extraction here….I like mine to be more charming. But it is a serious and complex wine…and has some nice fresh black fruit. Though the nose of the Arlanza was both attractive and complex, the mouth was a total let down. The shortness in mouth is a characteristic I find in many classic Riojas. Though the nose had a nutty, dried fruit nose, this is not the kind of fruit I find attractive in not-fortified red wines. But even if you like that kind of fruit, there was not enough of it in the mouth to give harmony.
Ratings (20 point system): 10-13 poor, 13-15 fair, 15-17 good, 18-19 excellent, 20 exceptional
March 5th, 2008 at 12:23 am
Dear Mary,
I appreciate your effort in trying to show the differences between “old” style Rioja and “modern” Rioja. But I woluld like to make a few points on this issue. Otherwise, people can be confused about what we are talking about. It’s very much the case nowadays, unfortunately.
You say that “The modern reservas will generally have between 12 and 18 months of oak, while the classics will have at least 24, but many times much more. I this case our modern has only 12 months and our classic has 36 months! ”
There’s something very important missing in the comparison you make: the age of barrels. New oak barrels give to wine much more flavors and odors than used oak do. Thus, 12 month aging in new oak wood (specially if the oak is strongly toasted) can completely “squeeze” all the fruit in the wine.
You say that “Thirty six months in oak does not leave the fresh fruit taste most wine consumers today are accustomed to.”. I wonder how people can taste fresh fruit in many of these wines, when the only thing one can smell is tons and tons of wood (vanilla, cocnut, coffee, chocolate, ….).
I bet any wine lover to try to identify in a blind taste a modern Rioja as a Rioja.. The wine soul, the terroir, is almost always hidden by a carved wood mask. New wood is to wine what excessive make-up is to people…
I always thought that in art, the best you can say about an artist is that he/she has a style of his own. Wheter you like the style or not, wheter you like the artwork or not, I find it’s a sign of a good artist to have an individual and recognisable style.
I found the same is pretty much valid for wine. I can like or not the style of a Tondonia white, but as long as it’s absolutely unique I think this is real art in the form of wine.
Just my opinion. Not the more widespread nowadays, but I thought it could be a different opinion interesting to some people.
Forgive my english, as I’m a spanish speaking and sometimes struggle when writing in your language
Cheers,
Sobre Vino
http://www.sobrevino.com
March 5th, 2008 at 12:57 am
Hello Mary,
Not to pile on here, but I think I could add a few further clarifications to the ones already made above by my friend Sobre Vino.
When comparing “modern” Riojas to “traditional” ones, you do need to take into account the age of the barrels used, as well as the duration of the élévage. “Modern” Rioja producers tend to favor new (or at least newer) oak than the traditionalists, thus, their wines have a clearly identifiable profile in which the aromas of new oak, be it French, American or Slavonian, plays a very significant part.
You mention that fruit that consumers “want”. Don’t forget that, if the profile of ‘modern” Riojas ends up being the favorite of consumers, they also want those toasty, vanillaish, chocolaty, espressoesque, coconutty, custardy and dilly aromas that can come from new oak. I tend to agree with Sobre Vino that “fruit” isn’t really the prmary thing in those “modern” Riojas, but rather a combination of elements uniting in a simplistic, somewhat sweet profile. The oak, in “modern” Riojas tends to act more as a flavoring agent, a seasoning.
By contrast, in “traditional” Riojas the barrel serves a different purpose, being a more aromatically-neutral medium in which the wine undergoes a slow oxidative “mellowing”. Sure, the wine does get some aromas and flavors from the older oak barrel, but beyond a certain age, a barrel can infuse the wine with very little and simply becomes a container that allows tiny amounts of oxygen to come in contact with the wine.
We have to contend, in the cases of many “modern” Riojas, while we’re on the subject of what a wine can “get” from barrel aging, with the strong, raspy, drying tannins that new barrels can add. In too many cases, those tannins can smother that precious fruit that your consumers so desire. The result, after some time in bottle, for too many “moderns” I’ve had inflicted upon me, can be ugly.
I also wondered, reading your two pieces, if you had taken into account the varietal composition of your examples of “modern” and “traditional” Riojas. Both of your “traditionals” are from La Rioja Alta S.A. and both are very distinctive blends. In the case of of the Viña Ardanza (not “Arianza”, as you wrote), the blend contains a substantial proportion of Garnacha, which is responsibel for the particular character of the wine. Too many “modern” Riojas are 100% Tempranillo, which yields a much different result. Any thoughts about that?
I appreciate the intention of your comparisons, but think they need to take many more factors into account.
By the way, I write a Spanish-language blog about wien and many other things at lomejordelvinoderioja.com. My blog is called “La otra botella”. I mention it not a self-promotion, but because on the “Blogsw” column of the portal, two blogs down from mine, is “Clásicos de vanguardia”, the blog by Julio Sáenz. Julio is a friend and the enologist at La Rioja Alta S.A. I believe he would be happy to explain his wines to you.
Best,
Manuel Camblor
La otra botella
http://blogs.larioja.com/otrabotella/posts