Just when you think we’ve left Spanish wine behind I planned another wine tasting of, what else; Spanish wines. These are all from El Coto winery in the La Rioja region of Spain. I also have three local wine events at Vara, Milagro and Pasando Tiempo wineries to comment on so this will be a full hour about wine. All this is on Salon Saturday.
El Coto de Rioja Wines
When I helped set up a Spanish wine tasting event on July 30, I selected wines from five wine regions: Penedés, Rios Baixas, Murcia, Valencia and Aragon. I had not covered the most popular wine region because most wine drinkers were already familiar with La Rioja. Now I’m covering El Coto de Rioja, the largest viticulturer in Rioja so that’d be a difficult wine region to ignore.
When my wife and I toured parts of Spain I don’t think I drank anything but Tinta Rioja wines. These wines are some of the greatest expression of the Tempranillo grape and have long been popular. However, Rioja is also known for its white and Rose wines, called Rosado in Spain. The three wines sent to me from El Coto have all three types covered.
An overview of the La Rioja wine region will also include the types of grapes grown there to make the various wines. La Rioja even makes sparkling wines so this is a full-service wine region.
Spanish wine classifications: DOP
- Vino de Pago: Single vineyard wines, 15 total
- DOCa/DOQ: Winery located in same region as grapes, a rigorous standard: Rioja and Priorat
- DO: Quality wines in 79 official wine regions
- IGP: lower standard from larger regional areas
La Rioja
Rioja is a D.O.Ca., or Qualified Designation of Origin, and the first to receive that classification. Rioja wine is made from grapes grown in the autonomous communities of La Rioja and Navarra, and the Basque province of Álava. Rioja is further subdivided into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Oriental and Rioja Alavesa.
- Rioja Alta is at the highest elevation and known more for its “old world” style of wine. A higher elevation means a shorter growing season, so the wines have brighter fruit flavors and lighter on the palate.
- Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller body and higher acidity. Due to poorer soil conditions, vineyards have a low vine density with large spacing between rows to reduce competition for the soil’s nutrients.
- Rioja Oriental formally Baja is strongly influenced by a Mediterranean climate making it the warmest and driest of the Rioja. Temperatures in the summer typically reach 95 °F. The wines are deeply colored and alcoholic. Many used for blending.
La Rioja Wines
I first sampled Rioja wines while vacationing on the Costa del Sol. For $10 I had my choice of many Rioja Reserva wines and if I wanted to splurge, $14 for an excellent Gran Reserva. I also discovered paella, which paired so well with Rioja wines.
The Ebro River flows thru Rioja and feeds 7 tributaries that form seven valleys south and west of the Ebro. Each has unique soil, topology and climate that influence the style of wine made. The region is 70 miles to the Bay of Biscay and port of Bilboa and the same distance to the French border. When we covered Aragon we mentioned that same river flowed through the center of Aragon, forming valleys there as well. See Wine Folly: The Seven Valleys of the Rioja Wine Region
The New Rules for Rioja
The aging requirements have not changed, but a new sparkling category has been introduced.
- Crianza: 2 years aging; Red 1 year in oak, Rose/white 6 months
- Reserva: 3 years aging; Red 1 year in oak, 6 months in bottle Rose/white 2 years with 6 months in barrels, sparkling 2 years en tirage (on the lees) and Rioja designation, not Cava.
- Gran Reserva: 5 years aging, Red at least 2 in barrel and 2 in bottles, Rose/white 5 years aging at least 6 months in barrels.
- Gran Añada: sparkling 3 years en tirage, vintage wines are hand-harvested
There are also new rules for the Rioja wines in general:
- Rioja wines can now add the name of the village/municipality to the front label. There are 145 municipio names in Rioja. That would be fine for locals who would have more intimate knowledge of the villages, but impractical for us until each village establishes a reputation.
- Rosé or Rosado wines can now be made in a lighter style. Rosado wines required a fair amount of extraction, which affect palate and color. Drier, crisper styles are more popular.
- There is a new sparkling wine designation called Espumosos de Calidad de Rioja which basically uses the méthode champenoise.
- Winemakers may now offer single-varietal white wines under the Rioja Blanco label.
The new Rioja rules identify four classifications of wines. These designations define geographical locations, not necessarily quality levels, although that may be inferred.
- Rioja DO
- Zonas: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental
- Municipios or village wines, which will be standouts only time will tell.
- Grapes, vinification, ageing, bottling within the municipios
- Each producer will need a separate winery in each municipios, unlike Burgundy
- Most Rioja wines now are blends from different regions so this will be a big deal
- There are 77 villages in Rioja Alta, 50 in Rioja Oriental, and 18 in Rioja Alavesa.
- Viñedo Singular or unique vineyards, with strict requirements, minimum vineyard age 35 years, all hand-harvested, yields 20% less than Rioja DO, vineyard under ownership at least 10 contiguous years. That’s a pretty strict standard.
Rioja Red Grapes
The principal red grapes of Rioja are Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuela. Tempranillo is usually the primary grape, but Garnacha is sometimes a principal grape. While a single varietal is common, many Rioja wines are blends with Tempranillo as the main grape.
Tempranillo:
Tempranillo is the principal red wine grape of Spain and Rioja. It features flavors of cherry, plum, tomato, and dried fig and tertiary flavors of cedar, leather, tobacco, vanilla, dill, and clove. Aged in oak; typically aged 6-18 months in American or French Oak. About 85% of the grape is grown in Spain and 10% in Portugal, where it also finds itself in Port wines. It has the ability to age for over 20 years.
Garnacha:
Terroir: Grenache or Garnacha is a widely planted grape variety that ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions like Spain. The vine has a strong wood canopy and highly resistant to windy regions, although the Cantabrian Mountains shield them from the most powerful winds.
Flavors: Generally spicy, red berry-flavored (typically raspberry and strawberry) and soft on the palate producing wine with a relatively high alcohol content. Aged Grenache takes on leather and tarry notes; classic flavors of Spanish Priorat wines.
Mazuela (Cariñena, Carignan)
Outside of Catalonia, Mazuelo is mostly a secondary blending variety used to add acidity to the Tempranillo-based wines of Rioja though a few producers, such as Marqués de Murrieta, do make a single varietal. The grape is hugely popular in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. There is also a Cariñena DO in Aragon, which is likely the grape’s origin.
Graciano
Graciano is a Spanish red wine grape grown primarily in Rioja. The vine is a low-yield producer harvested in late October. The wine is characterized by its deep red color, strong aroma and ability to age well. Graciano thrives in warm, arid climates.
Besides its low yields, Graciano is also subject to downy mildew and is a high-maintenance grape. Since 1999, the Spanish government has offered subsidies to vintners who grow the grape. Still a winemaker must have a passion for Graciano and willing to expend the effort to produce a single varietal wine.
Rioja White Grapes
La Rioja also makes quality white wines, often as a blend, but the new rules permit a single-varietal wine. Viura, Garnacha Blanco and Verdejo are the principal white wine grapes.
Viura
The second most planted grape after Tempranillo, it’s also known as Macabeo in the Aragon and Penedés regions. The French Roussillon region across the border also has significant holdings. Its character varies widely depending on the site location and viticultural style employed.
Verdejo
Verdejo produces wines that are crisp, fresh, aromatic and fruity with clean herbaceous notes. The grape is predominantly grown in Rueda, Spain, where careful harvesting and vinification techniques are instrumental to maintaining its crisp, lively style, as the grape is prone to easy oxidation. Very similar in style and flavor to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris, Verdejo makes both a refreshing aperitif and good food pairing wine.
The grape is pale straw with flavors of lime, green melon, grapefruit pith, fennel and white peach. It is expressive of fruit, light in body, very dry with high acidity and alcohol. It is done in two styles, light and fruity and with oxygen during fermentation (oak-aging) a full-bodied and somewhat nutty wine with additional notes of almond and honey.
El Coto Winery
El Coto de Rioja was founded in 1970. It’s presently a very large winery that spans several single-purpose buildings and several vineyards. They produce all categories of White, Rosé, Crianza and Reserva wines. They offer top quality products at a very competitive price, which makes their wines perfect both for daily consumption and to celebrate special occasions. (El Coto; the Preserve)
To do this, they acquired and planted new vineyards to become the largest winegrower in the D.O. Ca Rioja, exploring new varieties such as Verdejo, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. They built a transformation winery in the vineyard itself, in order to be able to process the grapes minutes after harvesting, thus maintaining quality.
One of the things that make El Coto unique is the twelve venues, which are separate winery buildings designed for a specific purpose, such as bottling, grape reception, aging of reservas and gran reservas, etc. That and the over 1800 acres of vines assure a very high quality approach.
For your consideration: El Coto Blanco 2022, 12% ABV, $14
This white is a blend of Viura, Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes are from the Finca Carbonera vineyard. The grapes are cooled instantly in inert atmosphere, and from that moment, the whole production process is kept at a very low temperature to obtain maximum quality and finesse of aromas.
I had previously mentioned that the Verdejo grape was prone to oxidation as are other grapes to some extent. The inert atmosphere assures this will not happen.
Tasting notes: This wine is very fresh, both in nose and on the palate. The aromas of white fruit give way to a palate with a fresh citrus character.
For your consideration: El Coto Rosado 2021, 13.5% ABV, $14
This is a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha. Rosé is developed in part through the free-run juice of the grapes in the cellar and in part through the special maceration and later pressing. The must (juice and skins) is clarified before fermentation. The entire production process is done at very low temperatures. The acidity level is lower to emphasize the strawberry and red currant fruit flavors.
Tasting notes: The color is pale pink, almost strawberry. The nose has a hint of the sweetness of fresh strawberries and caramel. On the palate it is fresh as well as sweet.
For your consideration: El Coto Crianza 2019, 13.5% ABV, $14 to $17.50
As the name suggests this Crianza is aged at least 12 months in 225 liter American oak and 6 months in bottle. It displays flavors of fresh raspberry, cherry, spice and toasted oak.
Tasting notes: In the glass it presents a clean, bright cherry color with a garnet edge. On the nose it maintains the freshness of the fruit, with notes of vanilla and the most emblematic aromas of toasted oak. On the palate it is silky and persistent presenting a taste of well blended spice.
Vara Winery: Santa Fe Vara Vinoteca reopens
Vara is one of our most innovative wineries, offering both domestic and Spanish wines as well as award-winning spirits, Vermut, cocktails and tapas. That’s a full-service winery if you ask me. Founded in 2016, I worked with the principals and promoted them on several past shows. It’s great to see them doing so well.
VARA Vinoteca, located just steps away from the historic Santa Fe Plaza, has reopened following closure for repairs and is offering guests a new menu of California and Spanish-style tapas and cocktails in the warm and inviting space.
VARA Winery & Distillery pays homage to the history of winegrowing in the United States, and the new menus are an extension of this ethos. VARA continues to bridge the shared viticultural history of New Mexico, California, and Spain with its new tapas-style menu that draws inspiration from all three locales. Highlights include a grilled romaine elote salad ($11), pan con tomate ($10), and piloncillo bread pudding ($10), among many other options.
In addition to a wide portfolio of wine, VARA crafts a selection of spirits at its New Mexico winery and distillery, including the award-winning High Desert Gin, crafted with botanicals that reflect the smell of the desert just after rainfall. VARA also offers a selection of brandies, Spanish-style Vermut, and rums, and will soon release New Mexico-inspired vodka distilled from grape spirit.
The VARA Vermut wines are my favorite vermouth wines, unique and very approachable and great in cocktails.
These spirits are incorporated into the new cocktail menu:
- Sweet and Seco ($14) with VARA’s red & white Vermut
- Sandia Stratus ($15) with High Desert Gin, raspberry, lemon, egg white, and raspberry dust.
- Lavender to the Moon ($16) highlights VARA’s Paso Uno immature brandy, distilled from New Mexican grapes, alongside lavender, lemon, honey, and VARA’s Silverhead Brut Rosado wine.
VARA Vinoteca in Santa Fe is open Tuesday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. The VARA tasting room in Albuquerque, which also offers the new menus, is open Wednesday through Friday, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For your consideration: Vara Tinto Especial 2020, 14.4% ABV, $45
This is a Spanish red blend of Cariñena 29%, Mencía 28%, Cabernet Sauvignon 16%, Tempranillo 10%, Garnacha 8%, Syrah 5% and Merlot 4%. 4200 bottles produced.
Mencía
Mencía (Men-thee-ah) is a medium-bodied red wine grape that produces high quality wines with floral and red fruit flavors. Mencía only grows in Spain and Portugal on the Iberian Peninsula. Mencía has shown the ability to age like other fine wines and it offers rich aromas in the glass. It’s similar to Pinot Noir and other aromatic reds.
Typical flavors are sour cherry, pomegranate, blackberry, black licorice and crushed gravel. The fruit level is medium with medium high body, tannin, acidity and alcohol.
Milagro Wine Tasting Event August 19/20
One of the things I look forward to every month is the release of new wines from Milagro Vineyards. Sign up with Milagro to be notified of the next weekend tasting event so you won’t just be hearing about it here. The details below are from the release announcements sent out each month with a wealth of good information.
Lately winemaker Rick Hobson has been releasing two each month so all the more reason to go. Milagro has been releasing great wines since 1999, which is when I moved to New Mexico. Coincidence? I don’t think so, but there it is.
For your consideration: Milagro 2020 Zinfandel, 13.6% ABV, $32 w/tx).
Zinfandel was touted to be an American grape but DNA analysis has shown it is from Croatia. The Milagro vineyards are planted with Deaver, DuPratt and Costa Magna clones which are no longer available. To keep Zinfandel’s character consistent, new plantings are custom grafted from their vineyards.
We harvest by hand, gently destem, and ferment using indigenous yeast, age two years in French oak barrels and one year in the bottle before release.
The 2020 vintage is typical of past vintages – Old World in style emphasizing fruit, texture, balanced acidity and pleasant tannin. It has aromas of spice, cherry and currant, flavors of raspberry and black cherry, balanced acidity, soft tannin and long finish.
For your consideration: Milagro 2019 Syrah, 13.5% ABV, $34 w/tax)
Syrah hails from the steep rocky slopes of the Rhone River in the North of France. It grows in hot dry summers, cold winters, the Mistral wind and without irrigation. We raise Syrah on the west side sandy slopes of Corrales formed by the Rio Grande River. Our Syrah is raised in sandy soil (ground up rock) with hot summers (this year!), cold winters, our southwest winds and drip irrigation. See any similarities?
Syrah is known to make long lived ageable wines. We find our wines benefit from age. We make our wines in an Old World style – hand picking, gentle destemming, incorporating indigenous yeast in fermentations along with aging in French oak barrels for two years and one year in the bottle before release.
The 2019 Syrah is another exceptional wine produced in 2019 vintage. It has aromas of red berries, earth and a hint of bacon, flavors of red cherry, red plum and mineral, balanced acidity, medium tannin and long finish. It will reward additional aging.
Pasando Tiempo: Now with a New Tasting Room
The winery is expanding out of their home tasting room to a bigger facility that is just off 528 passed Ellison. I know Chris and Martha are happy to have their home back. The grand opening was August 11.
The new menu will feature wines from four NM wineries, draft beer from 2 local breweries and specialty cocktails from a local distillery. The pictures are from their website.
Pasando Tiempo Wines
- 2019 Tempranillo: 14% ABV, $22
- 2019 Sangiovese: 14% ABV, $32 with 20% Cab S.
- 2018 Cabernet Franc: 14% ABV, $32
- 2020 Chardonnay, 13.9% ABV, $20
- 2018 Merlot, 14% ABV, $15
- 2019 Zinfandel, 14% ABV, $25
- 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.9% ABV, $30
- 2017 Carpenter Family Meritage, 14% ABV, $32
(47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cab Franc and 20% Merlot.)
Casa Rondeña Journal Awards
The winery was awarded best winery, best red wine and best white wine from a reader’s survey of the Albuquerque Journal. I’d add that the grounds are beautiful, the tasting room is spacious, and the 1629 club is a must to join, or simply sit around the reflecting pool while enjoying the wine.
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