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ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts:1210
 | | 07/07/2003 5:24 PM |
| I have read tasting notes of very old rioja and been surprised to hear that some of the notes describe lively wines at 20-30 and even 40 years or more. Most of the rioja I have had seems to be geared for immediate consumption rather than long-term bottle aging. Faustino, Marques De Caseras, conde de valdemar, etc.
Regardless of barrel treatment (riserva, gran riserva, etc). What are some of the producers that make age-worthy rioja? | | | |
| Seaquam
Barrel Filler
Posts:1141
| | 07/07/2003 6:21 PM |
| I'm sure gastronauta is going to be popping in here to give you a lengthy list, but in the meanwhile the few Riojas that age well that I'm familiar with are Marques de Murieta/Castillo Ygay, La Rioja Alta, and CVNE. I think all of these make a reserve-like bottling that is quite easily found (at least, they are here, where we don't really have that great a selection of Spanish wines).
Another producer whose wines I have not tried but recall hearing good things about is Marques de Riscal, which makes a line with a different name (like Murieta/Ygay) as their top-tier wine, but I don't recall the name of it. | | | |
| jaimetown
DC area
Wine Bottler
Posts:3430
| | 07/07/2003 6:48 PM |
| | Artadi Pajo Viejos RSV comes to mind. I am inclined to believe this is a non-traditional Rioja, but pretty good juice. | | | |
| ChangeMe
Grape Fermenter
Posts:442
| | 07/07/2003 7:24 PM |
| Uh, I'm not really "into" this. I like the toothstaining stuff, not the classic Rioja style, but recently I had a thoroughly pleasant Rioja from 1973 for example, that was fairly alive.
Some problems: Artadi's top line was started around 1992-93. Ditto for most contemporary successful hot names, who came into being with the superb 1994 vintage.
Riscal's higher-end bottling (Barón de Chirel) has only been around for about ten years (since 1988 and the same goes for Torre Muga, Murrieta's Dalmau has been around only since 1994).
That means that whether we speak of the openly avantgardiste Riojas or the modern bottlings by traditional houses we can hardly go back further than 15 years. A middle stage is Contino, once the modern line of CVNE, now fairly traditional.
If you want the real thing you must stick to the likes of
Prado Enea (by Muga),
the Gran Reservas of La Rioja Alta (904 and 890),
López de Heredia (Viña Tondonia),
CVNE (Imperial and Viña Real),
Paternina (Conde de los Andes),
Murrieta (Ygay),
and Riscal,
to name but a few. Even in these cases vintage variation is wild, provenance is crucial, and there's nothing like auctions concerning guarantees of good provenance. However, the wines can--indeed should--be found at shops all over the western world (whatever that means) and especially at traditional restaurants in Spain...and there is no reason why they should be inordinately costly. Well stored 1964s and 1970s can be bought here for under $100. A totally different thing is whether you really like the style at that price. A good 1991 such as Prado Enea costs around 45E. From there back to postwar days it climbs real fast...and there's a lot of risk involved...but also pleasant surprises.
One thing is these wines are usually held together by lively acidity, with really complex tertiary aromatics, cedary notes, spice, tobacco, leather...but fruit is expressed as a sort of candied orange peel. It's quite a difference from modern Spanish wines, truly a category of its own--though many compare it to aged Pauillac. Trying one for yourself shouldn't be too difficult, then decide. But do shoot for a serious producer (there are more than those I mentioned, especially because I can't tell how good some were thirty years ago...).
Good luck. | | | |
| Daniel Posner
Grape Fermenter
Posts:586
| | 07/07/2003 7:48 PM |
| | López de Heredia is definitely one for the ages. 1981 is current release. | | | |
| ojeffso
warren, new jersey
Wine Lover
Posts:4877
| | 07/07/2003 9:56 PM |
| | last year i had a 1985 luis canas rioja that was drinking pretty well and it was fairly cheap. | | | |
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