These are two of the great wine producing regions of Spain. Without a doubt, Rioja is Spain’s best known wine region and the oldest ‘Denominaciones de Origen’ (D.O) in Spain, having received DO status in 1925. In 1991 it was promoted to DOCa (Qualified Designation of Origen), a higher category reserved for wines maintaining consistency and quality over a long period.
Ribera del Duero produces equally impressive red wines and is currently experiencing greater popularity due to considerable interest in the top end. It only became a D.O. in 1982 and is yet to be upgraded to the higher status of DOCa. Don’t let that deter you from these amazing wines, as we know, changes in European appellation systems takes a very long time. In this blog we are going to explore the two regions and the different styles of wines that they produce.
Rioja
The Rioja region is located in north-central Spain along the Ebro River and bordered by the Cantabrian Mountains in the north and the Demanda Mountains in the south. It is 210 square miles in size and has approximately 60,000ha of vineyards, divided between three parts: Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental (formally known as Rioja Baja).
Traditionally the highest quality grapes and the best wines came from the cooler, higher altitude areas of Alavesa and Alta and the volume production came from the fertile hotter, flatter sub-region of Baja. However, the best producers make high quality wines across the 3 sub-regions. Rioja Baja was officially renamed Rioja Oriental in 2018 to reflect this, and this sub-region has the highest potential for organic viticulture. Previously there had been a misconception amongst consumers that ‘Baja’, meaning ‘low altitude’ in Spanish, produced lower quality wines.
Rioja has been one of Spain's most revered wine producing regions for generations. Famous for its wines made from a blend of red grapes dominated by Tempranillo with Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan) also permitted and used to add floral notes, red fruit aromatics, alcohol and colour. Modern incarnations of Rioja are bright and laden with red-fruit character, underpinned by sweet spice and vanilla.
The Cantabrian mountains to the north of the region protect the vineyards from the harsh Atlantic-derived weather, and Rioja enjoys a warm, dry climate. Most Rioja wines receive oak treatment, which gives them their signature vanilla and sweet spice flavours. The amount of time they age in oak defines their category.
Rioja Joven wines receive little or no oak; while Rioja Crianza gets a minimum of one year in barrel followed by one year in bottle. Reserva wines get a year in oak and minimum two years in bottle while the region's finest wines, Rioja Gran Reserva, cannot be released until they have undergone five years ageing, two of which will be in oak.
We recommend:
La Rioja Alta, Vina Arana Gran Reserva, 2014
This is only the second offering of Viña Arana as a Gran Reserva. The 2014 is made from 94% Tempranillo and 6% Graciano. Aged in American oak for 3 years, followed by another 3 in bottle. Notes of black cherry and red plum intermingle with clove and vanilla spice underpinned by touches of Balsamic. Complex and multi-layered with an impressive vibrancy and freshness supported by ripe, generous tannins that give an excellent mouthfeel. Further dark black fruits on the core with added coffee and leather on the long, fine finish.
Marques de Murrieta Tinto Reserva Rioja, 2017
Produced from grapes cultivated on the Ygay Estate, this classic Rioja wine is aged for two years in American oak, before resting a further 18 months in bottle. The vibrant red fruit flavours marry seamlessly with the vanilla and spice characters contributed by the extended ageing. A complex, intense and impressive nose of dark plum, red cherry and sweet spice. Powerful and bold on the palate, yet the fine tannins and purity of fruit lead to a lingering and silky-smooth finish.
Ribera del Duero
Located in the Castilla y Leon district, just south west of Rioja but still in north-central of Spain, there are approximately 22,000ha of vineyards in the region, stretching over 70miles along the Duero River. The best Ribera del Duero wines are some of Spain's most famous vinous exports. Translating as bank of the Duero the region gets its water supply for irrigation from the Duero River, which is essential for such a warm area.
The region's vineyards are situated on a plateau 800 metres above sea level, and climatic conditions are extreme: sweltering dry summers and very cold winters. Tempranillo (known as Tinto Fino or Tinto del Pais here), loves this punishing climate and the hot ripening season allows the grape to develop excellent phenolic ripeness, which brings lifted, fragrant aromatics to the finished wines. The wines must contain at least 75% Tempranillo to be recognised by the D.O. The Wines here are also classified according to their ageing requirements, which match those of the Rioja D.O
Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot are also grown in lesser quantities and sometimes used in the blend. Compared to Rioja, the wines of Ribera tend to be deeper in colour, fuller bodied with higher tannin levels and higher alcohol and an intense black fruit character.
Vega Sicilia was one of the first to gain global success at the upper end of the market, and its intensely coloured, structured wines with blackberries, dark plums and tobacco have become modern legends. Not surprisingly, other producers now follow their lead and the region is home to some of Spain's most impressive wine.
We recommend:
Áster Finca El Otero, Ribera del Duero 2016
Bodegas Áster is La Rioja Alta`s winery in Ribera del Duero located in the village of Anguix, Burgos. This is 100% Tinta del País (Tempranillo) from the estates single-vineyard `El Otero`, where vines have an average age of 80 years old; some of the oldest in the entire region. Dark and brooding nose of blackberry and black plum with added mocha and freshly ground coffee undertones. Rich, ripe and round on the palate with silky tannins and impressive purity of further dark black fruits fused with liquorice and toasted oak spice on the marathon finish. Elegant and refined.
Bela Roble, Ribera del Duero, 2020
Founded in 2019, Bela is an exciting new producer from Ribera del Duero and a welcome addition to our growing Spanish portfolio. It is home to an ultra-modern winery and a total of 82-hectares of vineyards in the village of Villalba de Duero, one of the main sites in the region and is planted with Tempranillo, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Rich and inviting aromas of both ripe red cherry and black plum fused with a generous portion of toasted oak for good measure. Intense, firm and structured on the mid-palate with rounded, ripe tannins and streak of vibrant acidity that envelop a further core of dark black fruit and mocha spice.
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For more information on wines of Spain, please do not hesitate to contact us at wine@bcfw.co.uk.
