Tag Archives: rioja

Wine of the Day: CVNE Cune Crianza 2012 Rioja 10-12-16

CVNE Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana Cune Crianza, Rioja DOCa 2012 750ML ($14.95) Buy Now: $11.90 special

CVNE Cune Crianza 2012 Rioja

CVNE Cune Crianza 2012 Rioja

Order a glass of Crianza at a bar or restaurant in Spain, and odds are they’ll have Cune to pour. Ripe, balanced, and full of bright cherry notes, Cune is, before anything else, delicious. It also happens to go well with a variety of foods, from classic jamón and cheese, to steaks and roasts, even with fish in Spain. But that price! Una locura! At $11.90 a bottle, anyone with a taste for Spanish wine, for Tempranillo, or for a superb table red should add a bit of Cune to the bodega. Trust in its ubiquity in the land where they drink wine the way we drink bottled water. – Daniel

Or, for a more serious Rioja from CVNE, try this:

CVNE Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana ‘Imperial’ Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2010 750ML ($49.95) Buy Now: $39 special

Want a white Rioja instead?

CVNE Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana ‘Monopole’ Blanco, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($14.95) Buy Now: $11.90 special

 

Wine of the Day: Bodegas Roda, Rioja 8-10-16

Bodegas Roda Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2010 750ML ($49.95) Buy Now: $39 special

Bodegas Roda ‘Roda I’ Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2008 750ML ($69.95) Buy Now: $49 special

Bodegas Roda Sela, Rioja DOCa 2012 750ML ($34.95) Buy Now: $26 special

Case-12 Bodegas Roda Sela, Rioja DOCa 2012 750ML ($399.95) Buy Now: $269 special

rodaiselaTempranillo remains a grape unmastered by anyone outside of Spain. The Ribera del Duero has become famous for its version of Iberia’s noblest grape, but the world’s finest Tempranillo still comes from La Rioja. Perfect growing conditions aside, La Rioja possesses a centuries-old tradition of Tempranillo winemaking, which usually blends in some Graciano, Mazuelo, and/or Grenache. Today, styles vary in La Rioja, and amongst the more modern wineries Bodegas Roda stands out. Absolute quality drives Roda’s vinous pursuits. Old vines abound in Roda’s estate vineyards, and the ultra-modern winery keeps the site’s 19th-century cellars at different temperatures depending on the stage of vinification. Each of the 17 vineyards ferments and ages separately in French oak until the wines are blended to create Roda’s signature wines. The Roda cuvée offers red fruit in a silky, fruit-forward fashion, while the Roda I tends toward dark fruit and a full, complex palate of chocolate and spice — both are Reservas. The Sela lends itself to earlier, easier drinking, with definite Roda character. All three of these wines are ready to drink, but could also cellar for years more. We’re delighted to have Roda on our list: it’s one of Spain’s best. – Daniel

Wine of the Day: Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain 2011 6-20-16

Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain 2011 750ML ($24.95) Buy Now: $21.90 special
Case-12 Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain 2011 750ML ($299.95) Buy Now: $236 special

muga2011Imagine you are sitting in the hot Spanish sierra, eating handfuls of cherries with ripe, tart and sweet frutas del bosque (berries) from a satchel that smells of spicy leather, with hints of fresh-rolled tobacco on your fingertips. A breeze carries floral notes under your nose, and suddenly you realize that you’re not in the hills at all, or even in Spain. You’re sniffing a glass of 2011 Muga Reserva, and when you take a sip its fruit-forward character unfolds alongside rounded tannins, warming the mouth and begging for a bite of cochinillo (suckling pig, a Riojan specialty) and for another sip of this classic-yet-modern Rioja red. Open another bottle, after indulging in a siesta, and continue basking in Spain’s unique cornucopia of vibrant flavors. This is a wine to enjoy regularly. – Daniel

Wine Advocate 91+ points “The 2011 Reserva is mostly Tempranillo complemented with some 20% Garnacha, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. There are no stainless-steel vats at Muga, so everything is fermented in oak vats and this wine is then aged for one year in new French oak barrels and a further year in used ones (three to six years old), fined with egg white and bottled. It is a Rioja that mixes the traditional and modern character with ripe fruit and contains oak aromas that are quite spicy and have some toast and smoke that should integrate with a bit of time in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied, has clean flavors that are balanced with sweet tannins. This is easy to drink, pleasant but not banal, and delivers a lot for its price. An impressive half-million bottles are produced of this wine, which is sold as Crianza in Spain and as Reserva in the rest of the world. Year after year, one of the most reliable and affordable Reservas.” LG

Clos i Terrasses Clos Erasmus, Priorat DOCa 2012 – April 2016

Clos i Terrasses Clos Erasmus, Priorat DOCa 2012 750ML ($219.95) Buy Now: $169 special

Clos Erasmus Priorat 2012Wine Advocate 98 points “After no 2011 was produced, the 2012 Clos Erasmus comes with renewed energy, a much fresher approach and a more transparent wine while keeping the slate typicity of Gratallops even in a tiny-yielding vintage. Part of the wine aged in 700-liter clay amphorae and the rest in Burgundy barrels that added a spicy patina to the nose, yet very much respected the wet slate character of the vintage. Contrary to previous vintages, the core of fruit is red rather than black; the 2013 that I tasted (not in bottle) followed pretty much this same direction. The palate shows power, elegance and a special mineral savoriness akin to licking stones. There is more Garnacha in the blend (there’s only 15% Syrah) which gives a Mediterranean juiciness. A new life for Erasmus, very much recognizable as Priorat, Gratallops and Erasmus, but with a more elegant haircut. Only 2,000 bottles produced.” WA

Josh Raynolds-Vinous 95 points “(80% garnacha and 20% syrah; aged for 20 months in French oak, 60% of it new, and in a single 700-liter amphora): Bright purple. Sexy, mineral-laced aromas of black raspberry, potpourri, Asian spices and woodsmoke. Palate-staining red and dark berry liqueur flavors are complemented by notes of lavender, spicecake and bitter chocolate, with a minerally quality adding lift, vivacity and focus. Closes extremely long, with superb clarity, sneaky tannins and a whiplash of candied flowers.”

Marques de Legarda Reserva de la Familia, Rioja DOCa 1995 – April 2016

Marques de Legarda RiojaBodegas de la Real Divisa Marques de Legarda Reserva de la Familia, Rioja DOCa 1995 750ML ($99.95) Buy Now: $79 special

Producer Notes “Bodegas de la Real Divisa are some of the oldest wineries in both La Rioja and Europe, belonging to a family legacy, which boasts the noble, family name of Marqués of Legarda.  Bodegas de la Real Divisa also produce highly expressive wines, created from the older vines: Draco and Marques de Legarda Reserva de la Familia. These wines are only elaborated during year, when the grapes are of optimum quality, as much so in the plant’s general health as the grapes’ organoleptic characteristics.  [The Reserva de la Familia is produced from] grapes originating exclusively from the bodega’s own vineyards.  Each variety of native red grape gives different values to wines: Tempranillo brings power, elegance and aromas, Graciano produces wines of great color with spicy aromas [and] Mazuelo produces wines that bring freshness.”