Plush and harmonious, this red is alluring yet subtle, with intense flavors backed by an impressive structure. Look for black currant, cocoa, cigar box and mineral notes now, and expect further complexity as this evolves. Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano.

Plush and harmonious, this red is alluring yet subtle, with intense flavors backed by an impressive structure. Look for black currant, cocoa, cigar box and mineral notes now, and expect further complexity as this evolves. Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano.

RIOJA

The most popular Spanish wine growing region is Rioja.  There, like Ribera del Duero, the Tempranillo grape rules.  In Rioja, a classification system is used that essentially defines the wines by how much oak and bottle age the wine sees ... Read More »

RIOJA

The most popular Spanish wine growing region is Rioja.  There, like Ribera del Duero, the Tempranillo grape rules.  In Rioja, a classification system is used that essentially defines the wines by how much oak and bottle age the wine sees before release.  This four-tiered classificatioins is:  Rioja, Crianza, Reserva and the highest level, Gran Reserva, which requires a minimum of 2 years in oak and 3 years in bottle.

Rioja is located in north-central Spain and is split into three areas:  Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavese, and Rioja Baja.