Wanted: Rioja sifu.
We have been drinking mostly Italian recently. Time to change things up a little. I have a bottle of Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape sitting in the fridge that I have been meaning to open. A region we have not explored often, I had heard good things about this bottle.
I was just about to open it when Shell decided Spain was where her tastes were heading. The Le Naerthe would have to wait, Rioja was calling.
Rioja is like any region, the wines range from extraordinary to average and everything in between. I struggle with Rioja, unlike any other region, however. Wines come recommended and often disappoint. There seems no consistency in Reserva, Gran Reserva, and other bottle labeling. Price seems just as vague, I have had inexpensive bottles that impress and expensive that disappoint.
Maybe it had something to do with the surging popularity of the region a decade ago? Trending wines often result in bandwagon products trying to meet perceived demands and varying traditions to accommodate markets. I really do not know. What I really need is someone who knows the region intimately to set me on the right path.
Decanted for thirty minutes.
Tempranillo 70%
Garnacha 20%
Mazuelo and Graciano 10%
Medium ruby in the glass. The fruit dominates the nose, I flip-flop between dark cherries and blackberries, perhaps it is somewhat jammy. There is black coffee bitterness which is pleasant but not overpowering with subtle fresh parsley and some pretty floral elements. It sounds good in text but the nose is somewhat unremarkable, linear. On the palate, it offers medium acid and high tannins, gum drying tannins. The fruit dominates the palate, the oak offers a little texture. There is iodine that I am not impressed with and a bitter finish not unlike radicchio. Lovely for those who enjoy radicchio, but I can’t stand it.
This wine would likely hit a sweet spot for those who like big grippy tannins and a slight bitterness on the finish, but it is not for me.
The wine is sound, enjoyable, but certainly not memorable.
Drink now – 2025+
89 pts.
