A Trio from El Coto de Rioja

El Coto de Rioja consists of twelve separate cellars and wineries, each designated with a distinct task. This includes the original winery that first opened in 1976, six years after their very first harvest. Today, that winery building operates as the administration offices, but there are new facilities that operate to process just white wines, others to just process Crianzas and Coto Real. Still another to age the Crianza and others for aging the Reservas and Grandes Reservas.  The vinification is carried out in small tanks that do not exceed 50,000 liters and all our red wines are aged in oak barrels, which are replaced annually. 

Last month I received samples from this brand that is a leader not only in Rioja, but all of Spain. 

El Coto Blanco 2022 ($11.99)
This wine is primarily Viura (with smaller percentages of Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo) that was grown in the Finca Carbonera vineyard. This vineyard was first planted in 2010 right when the  Regulatory Council authorized the planting of white wine grape varieties. The additional of white wine became so popular that in 2017 El Coto built a separate facility at Finca Carbonera to process these grapes. This is a fundamental summer wine -- begging for shellfish. It starts with a floral aromas that transitions to a saline driven center of white peaches, white grapefruit, and lemon, then finishes with racy acids.

El Coto Rosé 2021 ($11.99)
This rosé is dominantly Tempranillo 10% Garnacha  harvested from the Los Almendros vineyards. This site is the largest vineyard in all of the Denomination of Origin Rioja. The wine is made in the Provence style with light pressing, short skin maceration, and fermenting under low temperatures. This rosé is all red berries but what separates it from others is a noticeable herbaceousness with slight tannins and a fuller body.

El Coto Crianza 2019 ($16.99)
This savory wine is composed of 100% Tempranillo and processed using the regional requirements -- fermented and aged in oak for at least 12 months with an additional six months resting in bottle, prior to release.  The wine starts with a vibrant aroma of dark fruit, tobacco, mint that leads to a juicy, earthy, and herbaceous core. The finish is long dominated by approachable tannins.

Grape Spotlight: Rioja Viura or Macabeo Elsewhere in Spain

DOC Rioja is primarily red wine centric, however, on the white wine side of the house, Viura has supplanted Malvasia as the most widely planted white grape variety.  Elsewhere in Spain, the grape is called Macabeo, but Rioja vintners are especially keen because of its high levels of antioxidant resveratrol monomers. This brings it a little closer to a red wine grape and barrel aging as the higher percentage of resveratrol equates to higher resistance to oxidation. And barrel aging inevitably results in higher exposure to oxygen. In the vineyard, there are risks; Viura is susceptible to disease and in particular to downy mildew and grey rot.

In the winery, Viura is very versatile and can be vinified into multiple styles from still or sparkling, dry or sweet, or steel or barrel fermented. The wines are generally fresh with floral and white fruit aromatics using stainless steel fermentation and more weighted and nutty when oak treatments are used.

If you want to try a Viura wine then you should start with Monopole, the oldest white wine brand in Spain, and first produced by CVNE in 1915. The current vintage is the Monopole 2019 White Rioja ($15) where only free-run juice was fermented in order to maintain the inherent fruit and floral aromatics. This also creates a freshness that is consistent from start to finish weaving through surprising layers of depth.


Disclosure: We received samples from CVNE in order to share our opinion about their products, but this isn’t a sponsored post.

Dos Spanish Rosado Wines for Spring

"In the 3rd Century BC the region of Rioja was inhabited by the Berones, a warrior people from Celtic origin whose populations reached from the Cantabria mountains in the North to the Demanda mountain range in the South. This warlike population, also dedicated to agriculture, livestock, pottery, and metallurgy named this area Beronia."

Beronia Winery was named to honor this heritage and is located in the Rioja Alta subregion of the famous DOCa Rioja. This subregion shares similar characteristics as its two other subregion siblings (Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental - formerly Rioja Baja) -- like abundant sunshine. Rioja Alta is the highest region and enjoys a larger diurnal temperature leading to acid retention and longer maturation periods. CVNE is another winery located in Rioja Alta (with additional vineyards in Rioja Alavesa) and is currently celebrating its 140th year anniversary. In fact, the winery is still controlled by the direct descendants of the founding family. Recently I received samples of Spanish Rosados from each winery.


Beronia Rose 2018 ($13)
This winery is part of the Gonzalez Byass portfolio and is a blend of 55% Garnacha and 45% Tempranillo. The Beronia estate consists of 25 hectares of vines and the vineyard team also controls 870 hectares of specially selected vineyards situated within a 10km radius of the winery, maintaining the Rioja Alta terrior. The wine is soft with velvety cherries and strawberries, depth, and plenty of lifting acids. Major finesse.

CVNE Rosado 2018 ($13)
This darker colored rosé consists of 100% Tempranillo and is a deeper and richer wine. Because CVNE controls vineyards in both Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa the grapes are potentially influenced by the Atlantic and Mediterranean climates. On the one hand, this means moderating influences, on the other hand, warmer and sunnier. This wine is much fuller with textured dark cherries and some stone fruits. And like the previous wine, expect abundant acids. Cheers.

#TempranilloDay and Discovering Rioja in Three Letters with Bodegas LAN

"Rioja is a privileged region for growing grapes and making top-quality wines, with a unique personality and an exceptional aptitude for ageing. The Rioja wine region is located in northern Spain, on both sides of the River Ebro. The local terrain perfectly delimits the region and sets it apart from surrounding territories. From an administrative point of view, however, its 63,593 hectares of vineyards are divided between three provinces on the Upper Ebro - La Rioja (43,885 ha), Alava (12,934 ha) and Navarre (6,774 ha)."....... DOCa Rioja

In 1972 Bodegas LAN was founded and named after the first initials of these three provinces of DOCa Rioja, but with the L representing Logroño - part of the larger La Rioja. Their estate, Viña Lanciano Vineyard, is set on 72 hectares that are nearly surrounded by a meander of the Ebro River. The river also acts as a natural frontier between Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. According to DOCa Rioja, "in Rioja Alavesa there is a significant influence of the Atlantic climate and the soils are chalky-clay situated in terraces and small plots. In Rioja Alta the climate is also mainly Atlantic, while the soils are chalky-clay, ferrous-clay or alluvial. Rioja Baja has a drier, warmer climate, thanks to the Mediterranean influence and the soils are alluvial and ferrous-clay." And as their name suggests, Bodegas LAN either directly controls or sources from vineyards in each of these three regions.

The winery is also known for their pioneering approach to vinification and oak treatment using the highest-quality oak barrels. These casks are crafted by the world’s best coopers – including French, American, Russian and hybrids.  LAN manages each tank individually - based on the destination it has been assigned. Malolactic fermentation is undertaken in new barrels and in the ageing process, LAN "re-instills our identity onto each wine separately with the use of different kinds of oak as well as with hybrid barrels, a type of cask pioneered by the winery".

French Oak Sourced from various forests in central France (Allier, Tronçais, Jupille…) its characteristic aromas are soft vanilla, clove and chocolate. American Oak Coming from Ohio and Missouri, its aromas remind of cocoa and aromatic herbs. Russian Oak From the Caucasus and the Adyghe Republic, this type of oak has less fragrance and is more respectful to the wine. Hybrid Barrels As pioneers in the use of hybrid barrels, made with American oak staves and French oak heads, their use lend our wines a unique personality.

We recently received two samples to illustrate Bodegas LAN's winemaking process in time for #TempranilloDay. On Thursday November 8th celebrate with a bottle of Tempranillo and follow Twitter #BodegasLAN and #RiojainThreeLetters conversations to learn more about LAN and Rioja. Cheers.

LAN 2015 D-12 ($20)
This wine is a blend of 98% Tempranillo and 2% Mazuelo hand harvested from two plots in the town of Haro (Rioja Alta) and two plots in Laguardia (Rioja Alavesa). D-12 is intended to pay homage to the workers of LAN and the name is a reference to “DEPOSIT 12”, the stainless steel tank that each vintage holds those wines that according to LAN winery personnel have the most outstanding attributes each year.   The juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 25º C in order to maintain aromatic potential and maximize color extraction. Micro-oxygenation and maceration in contact with the lees prior to malolactic fermentation in order to balance the tannins and display a silky mouthfeel.  The fermented wine is then rests twelve months in new American and French oak barrels followed by twelve months of rounding in the bottle prior to release.  Even after all the oak treatment this is a juicy fruity wine with patches of black pepper and cocoa. It has a fullness that rounds the finish into a lasting statement.

LAN Gran Reserva 2010 ($25)
This wine is 90% Tempranillo and made from a selection of the best grapes coming from 30 year-old, low yielding bush vines in the Rioja Alta and 10% Mazuelo from their Viña Lanciano vineyard. The grapes were de-stemmed and fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 30º C. The fermented wine was then aged 24 months in American oak and French oak barrels, followed by a minimum of 36 months in the bottle.  This is one full bodied and luscious wine, commanding intense fruit with baking spices and tobacco-leather.  A completely balanced and delicious wine.

Celebrating Generations of Vineyard Workers with Matsu Tinta de Toro

Castilla y León is the largest region of Spain, as well the largest region of all the European Union, and hosts the wine regions of Ribera and Rueda in addition to the more recently designated Toro DO. Toro lies to the west of Rueda in the province of Zamora and and is bisected by the Duero River flowing towards Portugal. Despite gaining Denomination of Origin (DO) status as late as 1987, wine making traditions predate the Romans as Greek settlers taught the local Celtic tribes how to vinify grapes. During the Middle Ages, Toro gained considerable wealth from the wine trade which expanded during the phylloxera epidemic as the local vines were protected by the sandy soil. Thus even today there are 150 year old vines still producing fruit. Traditionally Tinta de Toro refers to red wine from Toro and equates to a clone of the Tempranillo grape that excels in the DO's continental climate. Like other Spanish DOs there are several classifications of Tinta de Toro:

Roble: a young red aged between three and six months (can contain some Garnacha)
Crianza: must age for at least two years with at least six months in oak barrel
Reserva: must age for at least three years with one year in oak barrel
Gran Reserva: must age for at least five years with two years in oak barrel

El Picaro

In the Toro DO there are currently 8,000 ha of land planted with vines with a portion sourced to Vintae, the La Rioja wine company launched by José Miguel Arambarri and sons José Miguel and Ricardo. The produce wine from 15 DOs and in 2006 ventured into Toro. Three years later they introduced the Matsu brand. In Japanese the brand name translates to "wait" and is a tribute to the workers who tend the vines over multiple generations. As proof, each wine label includes a photo of a viticulturist spanning these generations. I recently received samples of three of these 100% Tinta de Toro wines sourced from extremely old vines farmed using biodynamic techniques.

El Recio

Matsu El Picaro 2016 ($13.99) - consists of grapes harvested from a selection of 50 to 70 year old vines. The juice is fermented and rests three months on lees in concrete vats and undergoes malolatic fermentation in French oak barrels. This Roble wine is fresh yet full bodied with a velvety texture, dark juicy fruit, and lasting tannins. A great tasting wine. 

El Viejo

Matsu El Recio 2015 ($21.99) - consists of grapes harvested from a selection of 90 to 100 year old vines. After fermentation in concrete vats the wine was aged 14 months in French oak. This Crianza is intense that is both chalky and chewy; dusty and leathery. The dark fruit and chocolate lingers with the tannins. Ups their game here.

Matsu El Viejo 2015 ($46.99) - consists of grapes harvested from a vines over 100 years old. It follows a similar fermentation and aging regime as the El Racio but extended to 16 months. This Reserva is even more intense exploding in the palate with a combination of fruit, spice, and toasted wood. Chewy tannins integrate with the juicy acids to keep the party going. Oh yes, if only in my budget.

A Wine Dinner with Rioja's CVNE Winery

Recently I had the opportunity to join fellow wine bloggers and representatives from CVNE (Compañía Vinícola del Norte del España) for a fantastic wine dinner at DC's Barcelona Restaurant. The parent company operates bodegas in two of Rioja's three subregions: Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa - aka Basque wine country. CVNE is actually pronounced Coo-nay because way back in 1879 for their inaugural vintage, the labels were misprinted as CUNE. But Brothers Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa decided to keep the name for an easier pronunciation.

During the dinner, International Director Joan Pujol and USA Area Manager Gloria Zapatero relayed other stories about this historic winery including Spain's oldest white wine Monopole. First produced in 1915, the wine was first made using the Viura grape plus other non-Rioja Spanish fruit. The wine became 100% Viura in the 1980s when the Rioja DOC was institutionalized and is now known - at least for me - for its savory, stoney, and creamy orange blossom character. In another luck of fate, and elderly American customer visited the winery not long ago, sampled the Monopole, and remarked that it wasn't what he had remembered. The owner stepped into his private cellar pulled out a 1979 vintage and both the owner and customer where pleased with the aged wine. And thus the concept for the Cune Monopole Clasico was born. The winery un-retired the former winemaker who was the only person with knowledge of the blend and process. And in a few weeks this wine will be available in the United States.

Courtesy of CVNE

CVNE is the original winery founded by Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa in 1879 in Haro, Rioja Alta.  The cellars were designed by famed French architect Aleixandre Gustave Eiffel and provides a large open area for easy cask maintenance.

The Imperial brand began in the 1920's in Rioja Alta the westernmost part of Rioja's three subregions. The vineyards in Villalba, Briones and Montalvo are influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and contain deposits of iron, salts, limestone and clay. The name Imperial comes from the special bottling for the English market known as an ‘Imperial Pint’ (half a liter). The wines for the Imperial label are aged in the CVNE Eiffel designed cellar. Mr. Pujol noted that wines from Rioja Alta are generally more acidic which favors longer aging potential.

The Viña Real brand was also launched in the 1920s, this time in Rioja Alavesa - located in Basque country. The vineyards extend from the Sierra de Cantabria  towards the Ebro river basin which protect the area from harsher weather formed in the Atlantic. The soil combines with calcareous and clay-based soils. Mr. Pujol noted that there area produces riper wines and this winery is best known for their Crianza wines.

Contino became the first Rioja château in 1973 and is located in the Rioja Alavesa. "The history of the property dates from the 16th century, and is reflected in its name. The contino was the officer in charge of a guard corps of a hundred soldiers who protected the royal family de contino (continuously) from the times of the Catholic Monarchs onwards."  The grapes used in the Contino brand are exclusively from the 62 hectares Laserna vineyards which are protected by the Cerro de la Mesa hills.

Here are the wines we enjoyed during the evening. Cheers.

Cune Monopole 2015 ($15) 100% Viura - the most widely planted white grape variety in Rioja. The oldest white wine brand of Spain, produced since 1915.  This wine is one smooth operator: laid back, self-assured, stony and creamy orange blossoms, with just enough acids to make you notice.

Cune Monopole Clásico 2014 ($25) Viura & other grape varieties.  Fermented in stainless steel then rests on lees in 300l and 500l oak barrels for eight months. Very complex with multiple flavors - all of the spectrum.  Fresh finish from solid acidity.

Vina Real Crianza 2011 ($15) 90% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuela. This is a light bodied wine, bright cherries, a dusty structure and finishes smooth and vibrant. An outstanding value for an everyday wine.

Vina Real Reserva 2010 ($45) 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, Grenache and Mazuelo. Aged one year in oak and two years in bottle before release. Deep color and flavors, round and full, dried fruit, and very smooth.

Imperial Reserva 2009 ($45) 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. The wine is macerated and primary fermented in oak with the malolatic fermentation proceeding in concrete. The wine is juicy smooth, with excellent structure, vanilla and spices, and a long semi-tannic finish.

Imperial Gran Reserva 2009 ($55) 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo.Aging in cask for three years and in bottle for two years before release. Only wine from the best barrels were reserved for the Gran Reserva which shows in the wine with it's excellent structure, hints of earth, and long smooth finish. Fantastic

Contino Reserva 2009 ($48) 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo & Garnacha. After being opened all day the wine tasted of  figs and raisins, but remained fresh.

"Topa Egin Dezagun" to Basque Country Wines from Rioja Alavesa

This summer the Smithsonian Folklife Festival featured Spain's Basque Country showcasing that region's unique music, language and cuisine.  In conjunction, Paul Wagner, President of Balzac Communications & Marketing, lead a trade tasting of Basque Country Wines from Rioja Alavesa, a sub zone in the larger DOC Rioja region. The geography of Rioja Alavesa is both Mediterranean and Continental, with the Cantabria Mountains sheltering the vineyards from cold wet air from the Atlantic Ocean. The proximity of the vines to the Ebro River provides additional warming. The soils are primarily calcareous clay.  

The Basque region is unique in that it's language predates all the Indo-European languages now used in Europe. The Basque name for itself is "Euskera", wine is "Ardoa", and "Topa Egin Dezagun" translates to Cheers. The region is also located in the crossroads of ancient trade and medieval pilgrimage routes bringing some influences from other cultures - grape growing and wine production being good examples. The Basque region also produces a second style of wine called Txakoli that is not part of Rioja Alavesa. These wines are "young, fruity, slightly sparkling white wine with low acidity".

As for Rioja Alavesa, Tempranillo is the favored red grape comprising 80% of plantings with another 4% dedicated to other red grapes and the remainder to several varieties of white grapes.  During this tasting, all the wines were at least 90% Tempranillo and followed the DOC Rioja requirements regarding Crianza (minimum of one year in casks and a few months in the bottle) and Reserva (aged for a minimum of 3 years, with at least one year in casks). In general these wines were very good, with the older vintages providing evidence of longevity and freshness.  Topa Egin Dezagun.

• CVNE Vina Real Crianza 2001 ($12) - light bodied, black cherries, a little dusty with lingering tannins.
• Marques de Riscal Reserva 2009 ($20) - very complex (creamy, spicy, some leather) with lingering tannins and acidity. Very nice.
• Remelluri Reserva 2009 ($25) - much more tannic than the Marques de Riscal, with more leather and dirt,
• Baigorri de Garage Rioja 2007 ($50) - a new age Rioja, fresh dark fruit then figs and green olives on the palate, finishes with dark chocolate.
• Remirez de Ganuza Reserva 2006 ($60) -  a traditional Rioja styled Tempranillo; very smooth, depth, with a bright finis. My favorite of the group. 
• DSL Vinedos y Bodegas DSG Phinca Lali 2010 ($68) - interesting mint characters with loads of tannins and acids - Wagner recommends 5-10 more years aging for this one.