The Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja has a total of 5 red grape varieties and 9 white grape varieties. From these varieties are born the wines that months or years later we can taste as Rioja wines.
Below, you will find a total of 9 wines from 2 of the most prestigious more traditional varieties of Rioja wine, Garnacha, which accounts for 18% of the Denomination's wine-growing area, and Graciano, which accounts for only 2% of the Denomination's wine-growing area.
Take note.
1. Angel of Bodegas Ilurce
Angel is a wine 100% grenache elaborated by Ilurce Winery from Alfaro with grapes from their plots "La casilla del Rihuelo" and "Serrano", located in the lower part of the slopes of Yerga. Both vineyards with average vineyard age of vines older than 50 years and, driven in a glass.
Grapes are harvested by hand and transported in 300 Kg. crates. These crates are refrigerated in a chamber so that the grapes enter the vat at a low temperature.
Awards and Acknowledgements vintage 2019
90 points Tim Atkin
90 points Peñín Guide
Gold Medal at the "Grenaches du Monde" competition
2. Resaco de Bodegas Betolaza
We already talked about this Garnacha in the article of special Rioja wines.
This "grandfather garnacherois the most special wine that they have been producing since Betolaza Winery in Briones.
The family does not know the exact date of the planting of this unique plot of land located on the banks of the Ebro river between the towns of Briones and San Vicente de la Sonsierra, although it is believed to have been before the spring of 1920.
This terroir occupies a plot of 0.26 hectaresIt is divided in two by a bank, with a flat terrain, without boulders, with sandy soil in the northern part thanks to the sand that has been deposited after the floods of the Ebro and with spontaneous vegetation since do not use herbicides.
A century and 5 generations then resaco is born a 1920's homeland with night-time harvesting and hand-harvesting, which has become the most special wine of this family winery.
3. Graciano de Valenciso
Barely 2960 bottles of graciano are elaborated in Valenciso This wine is so special in the winery as it is the only one made with this grape variety. such a scarce variety.
In contrast to Tempranillo, Graciano has a long vegetative cycleThe grapes need much more time to ripen. In its area of Atlantic influence, in the north of the Rioja Alta and in high altitude vineyards, this late ripening can be difficult. it is not possible to process all harvests.
From a few graciano vines in Haro and Ollauri that the winery has, this wine was born and fermented in cement tank, and has aged 16 months in Caucasian oak barrelsThe wine has a balsamic note, which adds the nuances of its balsamic notes.
2019 vintage sold out.
4. Rosé wine of Bodegas Ilurce
We are facing a rosé 100% grenache from Bodegas Ilurce.
Every year Ilurce searches for this wine among its Garnacha plots, those that reach full maturity at the lowest alcoholic strength.
Not every year the same plots of land are used in this wine, but they are able to blend the best clones of selected Garnacha grape varieties from young vineyards with very old goblet-trained vines. The vintage dictates.
This The bled must was statically racked and fermented with indigenous yeasts. at low temperatures (15ºC).
Awards and Recognition
Vintages 2022 and 202391 points Tim Atkin
Vintage 202191 points Tim Atkin "Best value rosé of the year".
Gold Medal at the "Grenaches du Monde" competition.
88 points Peñín Guide - Chosen as Institutional Rosé by the DOCa Rioja Control Board.
5. The Moral of Rulei Wines
From the family vineyard "Viña El Moral" with more than 100 years and qualified as Singular Vineyard from Rulei Wines in Badarán.
This wine shows the uniqueness of the high altitude vineyards in the Najerilla valley, which historically specialised in Grenache vines such as these that allow for limited production of 2270 bottles.
Awards and Recognition
96 Decanter points.
95 guide points Sevi.
91 points Peñín guide.
6. El Sueño de Amado by Bodegas Ilurce
Also chosen by the family Ilurce as its most special wine.
Produced in Alfaro, Beloved's Dream is home to a story that reads like something out of a film.
At 1918 Amador who was known to all as Amado celebrated his wedding and went with Julia, his wife, to Valencia for their honeymoon.
As a souvenir of the trip they brought back to La Rioja a sheaf of vine shoots with local varieties: bobal and a white variety.
On his return grafted these few shoots in the vineyard La Casilla de Cabezorroyo, a Grenache planted in 1916 a centenary vineyard with a unique story behind it that today you can enjoy El Sueño de Amado.
The grape harvest is refrigera The grapes enter the vat at between 4 and 6 ºC, achieving a cold pre-fermentation maceration to obtain the maximum extraction of colour and aromas. The wine is then fermented in stainless steel tanks. new French oak barrels for ageing for 12 months.
Awards and Recognition
89 points Peñín guide.
7. El Capricho de Ana by Bodegas Ruiz Alfaya
A Grenache 100% coming from vines planted in 2002 at the feet of the Obarenes Mountains.
At Ruiz Alfaya Winery elaborate 1000 units of this wine in Castilseco where the family winery is located.
For its elaboration, once the selection of the plots has been made, the grapes are destemmed and fermentation is controlled in stainless steel tanks in order to extract all their essence through the following processes daily gentle climbs until the end of the first fermentation. Subsequently, the second manolactic fermentation is carried out naturally.
8. El Moral Rosé of Rulei Wines
Once again we are faced with a rosé 100% grenache this time prepared by Rulei Wines in Badarán.
It comes from Viña El Moral, a vineyard that is over 100 years old and classified as a Singular Vineyard.
This is a complex rosé, with the characteristic strawberry flavour of the wines from this vineyard. A rosé for ageing that produces 1130 bottles.
Awards and Recognition
95 guide points Sevi.
9. Sintauto of Bodegas Ilurce
We close the list with another 100% graciano, this time produced in Alfaro by Bodegas Ilurce.
Grapes from the vineyard "Los Olivos", situated in the lower part of the slopes of Yerga. It was planted in 1995 and its vines are trained on trellises.
The harvesting is done by hand. The grapes are destemmed and lightly crushed, then undergo alcoholic fermentation at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks. It remains in French oak for around 12 months, depending on the vintage.
We are facing a wine free of any kind of treatment, which may show a slight sediment at the bottom of the bottle as a result of its natural evolution.
Awards and Recognition
91 points Peñín guide.
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