Rioja, a fusion of wine cultures on the banks of the Ebro River

Rioja, Spain's most renowned Denominación de Origen is always under the watchful eye of other wine-producing regions, as the campaigns of many others that seek to take advantage of the gap or differentiation with those who have the greatest sales capacity are adapted according to their performance. We want to review the latest tastings and also emphasise the strengths of the most envied region and the points of improvement that we believe it can have.

If in the last few years we could appreciate a certain homogeneity, sometimes tedious, in the tastings of many Rioja wines, this year we can see how they are opening their hands to other elaborations and styles that enrich the offer of the region. The proliferation of more racial and wild wines with grapes such as graciano, for example from Contino, Altos de Rioja, Abel Mendoza or Amaren, and the red maturana in reds from houses such as Barón de Ley, Vivanco, Viña Ijalba, Corral or Juan Carlos Sancha has allowed us to interpret another concept that we did not find in the past. For their part, the garnachas of the Rioja Oriental, as floral as they are ripe and friendly, fill the canvas with a touch more colour, together with the tempranillos, some as single varietals, others linked to the mazuelo and graciano, as well as the classics, the old "alta expresión", the "autor" style, and so on.

This year we have also observed that the type of white wine for ageing is becoming more established and showing its growth potential. A few years ago, whites were more focused on a young profile and more volume, as opposed to the few projects for aged whites. Today, as there is a more mature consumer who understands these more aged whites, it is rare to find a winery that does not have a high quality crianza or aged white wine. The area has proven qualities to develop these wines made from Viura, Garnacha Blanca, Maturana Blanca and, to a lesser extent, Tempranillo Blanco. However, it is still a challenge to master the ageing of these wines so that everything comes together perfectly. Some of the best examples of the white universe can be found in Capellanía 2016, Remelluri 2018, Mártires 2018, Nivarius Edición Limitada 2017 or Viuda Negra Villahuercos 2018.

Rioja is, today more than ever, a place where there is a winemaking melting pot, both conceptually and in terms of grape varieties. As a diverse place, it requires action through different storylines, from the global and accessible level to the highest quality wines. All of them require their own campaign and promotion, as they all contribute to the whole. 

Despite the size of Rioja, so small and so big at the same time, it does indeed have different realities and sensitivities within it. It is enough to take our usual tasting tour of its wines, (this year there were more than 1,000 tastings), to understand that a single line of action and communication is not enough to satisfy all its producers, as the realities are diverse.

In case we were not aware, COVID 19 came to show us that we are not all the same, as this virus has been able to affect wine producers unequally, suffocating some to the point of exhaustion and passing less virulently over others. Not everyone produces the same, not everyone sells their products through the same channels and not everyone has direct access to the end customer.  At the tasting level, these differences become very evident as not all wines are aimed at the same consumer, nor do they have the same price. Different realities require different actions. And it is in this context that we currently find Rioja currently after the development and implementation of its Viñedos singulares (Singular Vineyards) category.

How many singular vineyards does Rioja have?

To date, more than 120 singular vineyards have been authorised in Rioja and more are expected. What Pablo Eguzkiza, partner at the Compañía de Vinos Telmo Rodríguez, recently told us in an interview is how difficult it is to argue for a "singular" category that already has a large number of singular products within it. This is said by one of the most relevant figures in the production of legendary wines from La Rioja, because from his experience, these wines are not comparable to many others. We understand that the summit of a wine-producing region is not a place full of people, because it is the most exclusive thing about a place, and exclusivity and excellence cannot be cloned.

There is a very high level of producers in Rioja, who could well be on a lower tier than this very exclusive elite. We are talking about producers of reference in the area, capable of making unforgettable wines of exceptional quality, wines that make the Rioja brand and which, due to their characteristics, could fit into a considerably lower category, while also adding great value to the whole.

Requirements to be a distinctive Singular Vineyard.

There are also many other wines that either do not fit in or do not want to have this label voluntarily, but which nevertheless represent the best image of Rioja. They are great producers of legendary wines in the region who, although they are capable of entering the category of Viñedo Singular, do not label their wines as such, as they feel that this category does not meet their expectations of differentiation. Many of the best-known producers in the D.O. have dispensed with its use, which has detracted from the weight of this category. No one can doubt that La Nieta by Marcos Eguren, Las Beatas by Telmo Rodríguez, Valmira by Álvaro Palacios or La Condenada by Artuke, (to name but a few of the best examples of individual plots made into wine), are singular vineyards. This makes us wonder whether there is still a need for a higher category to accommodate all of them. But perhaps the perfect category will never come, no matter how hard the D.O. tries, as it remains to be seen whether these renowned producers would want to coexist at the same level in the same category with new players of lesser commercial renown.

Despite all the regulatory complications, this year's tasting of Viñedos Singulares wines has shown us that the wines meet the quality level expected of them. It is surprising that almost all of these wines respond to a modern wine profile: very expressive, powerful and fruity.

Classic Rioja wines

 If there is a style intimately linked to Rioja, it is the classic style, a wine that has been able to position the appellation of origin in a clear and defined way all over the world. The Gran Reserva category does not always show the classic style we are referring to, as some wines do not enter generously into the world of tertiary aromas, almost an obligation for these wines, at least that is what is expected of them, a certain degree of maturity in their nuances. Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 2005, Castillo Ygay 2010 and Marqués de Riscal Gran Reserva 2015 are excellent examples of the subtlety and elegance of this perfectly defined category