WINE “Over the last two decades Rioja has gone through an identity crisis”
THERE was a time when you knew what you getting when buying a bottle of Rioja.
The reds were categorised by time spent in American oak; the longer the better being the maxim for quality
The oak would tame the fruit and soften it – the oldest appearing quite light with minimal ripeness still present.
But over the last two decades Rioja has gone through an identity crisis. The thinner mature wines of the past have become less fashionable and the style of wine made in Spain’s Ribera del Duero region become a better fit for the American market in particular.
Whites were once almost always oaky like the classic whites of Burgundy.
Now whites run the gamut from the lean, crisp wines made from Viura to barrel fermented productions where oak is very present.
Some producers such as Marques de Caceres make whites without any oak.
It certainly makes for an interesting variety of wines even if consumers might not be too sure what they are getting.
White Rioja is one of my favourite wines when it’s done well and that can mean zippy and fresh as well as rounded and oaky. Marques de Caceres Rioja Blanco 2015 (Majestic £6.99 as part of a six- bottle case) I tasted this wine at Festejar last week and was struck by what great value it is. The founder of the estate, Henri Forner, lived in exile during the Franco years and spent some time learning about wine-making in Bordeaux. That, perhaps, led to a different approach. Marques de Caceres uses no oak in its Rioja Blanco and employs mainly French oak in the reds. The effect is to create wines of a completely different style to old-school Rioja. This white is made from Viura which will make great wines for drinking young when they are still fresh and vivid.
It’s a floral, aromatic white with a very crisp and lean palate with pear-like fruit. Cune Barrel Fermented Rioja Blanco 2015 (£9.80 Waitrose, Wine Rack)
One of the best wines to head for as a compromise between the old superoak styles and wines made from more modern techniques.
Here the Viura is fermented in a barrel to make it more rounded with lime and crisp acidity balancing the flavours very effectively.
This is perfect for seafood and will add elegance to classic tapas such as fried calamari or prawns and chorizo. Contino Blanco 2014 (£25.45 Waitrose, The Whalley Wine Shop)
If the classic oak white Rioja has evolved into this, then bring me more of it!
It’s a fine white to compare with more expensive white Burgundies.
And there’s a lot going on with rich aromas both toasty and zesty.
The palate is surprisingly full, rounded out with some white Grenache and Malvasia.
The end result is a wine that you can bring out for your best cooking now or pop in the cellar for another year or so.
One of the pinnacles of the Cune estate’s current range and very much worth the splurge.