Located in north-central Spain, along the Ebro River, the Rioja region is made up of three subregions – Alta, Alavesa and Baja – and holds Spain’s highest quality wine classification, DOCa.

Within Rioja (as in the rest of Spain), aging requirements for wines and their labels are legally defined. For each term, a minimum aging period in oak and bottle applies, but producers are permitted to and often do exceed these minimum requirements.

• Joven/Cosecha – young wines, no aging requirements

• Crianza – 12-18 months in oak + 1 yr in bottle

• Reserva – 18-24 in oak + 1-2 years in bottle

• Gran Reserva – 24-36 months + 3 yrs in bottle

Although there are similar aging terms applied to whites and rosés, the length of time is reduced, preventing the wines from otherwise being overwhelmed by oak.

At the Vibrant Rioja trade tasting earlier this year, some interesting wines and equally interesting production techniques came across my radar.

In an unusual move, producer Sierra Cantabria employed the use of carbonic maceration as part of its fermentation process for its Cuvée in an attempt to get significant fruit concentration. The wine then spent 14 months aging in French and American oak.

At San Vicente, the observation of vines with hairy leaves in their vineyard, led to the discovery of a clone of Tempranillo now known as Tempranillo Peludo. There are 50ha on the estate, which have been isolated from the rest of the property. Surprisingly, this clone seems to prefer clay soils, as opposed to the sandy and stony soils preferred by other Tempranillo vines.

While Rioja is generally produced from some combination of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, winemaker David Sampedro from Bodega Don Sancho de Londono blends in 5% Viura, a white grape variety, in his Phincas 2008.

Cepas Antiguas’ importer asked if the estate would produce an unaged wine from 40 year-old vines, which is unheard of for a Joven wine, with some grapes harvested from vines as old as 80 years. Why? The importer wanted to show the terroir. At $12.00 retail, this is an excellent wine for the price, providing much more complexity than other young wines with a well integrated palate.

Although most wineries produce a range of Rioja wines from Joven through Gran Reserva levels, the Valenciso estate only makes one wine and it is always at the Reserva level.

These wines highlight just some of the diversity and innovation taking place in Rioja today.

TASTING NOTES

Sierra Cantabria Cuvee 2007, 100% Tempranillo, $30.00 SRP
Very fruit focused nose of blackcherry and raspberry, but the palate was more oak driven with notes of cedar, spice with a strawberry undercurrent.

R. Lopez de Heredia – Vina Tondonia Reserva White 1993, blend of Viura and Malvasia, $43.00 SRP
Slight oxidative note, showing some development, herbal and citrus notes. Honey, oxidized, and apricot flavors, with medium+ acidity, medium+ body and long length.

Cortijo 2010, 80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha; $10.00 SRP
Strawberry and leafy notes on the nose. Very lush fruit on the palate – strawberry and tobacco leaf, medium+ length.

Phincas 2008, 70% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, 10% Garnacha, 5%; $38.00 SRP
Very modern in style and very tannic – needs time to mellow.

Cepas Antiguas Tempranillo 2009, 100% Tempranillo; $12.00 SRP
Strawberry, herbs, tobacco on the palate and nose. Full body, nice acidity and medium+ length.

Valenciso Reserva 2004, 100% Tempranillo; $40.00 SRP
aged in 100% French barriques. The wine was showing some development on the nose with faint fruit notes, oak, leaf/tobacco. On the  palate, the strawberry and raspberry flavors were more prominent, joined by the leaf/tobacco notes, all of which lingered on the long palate.