Expert’s choice: white Rioja
From tired and flabby to complex and textured, white Rioja has transformed its image, says Sarah jane evans MW, here recommending her favourite bottles
The fresh new face of white Rioja has arrived. Sarah Jane Evans MW shares her favourites
WhITe RIOjA’S TRANSFORMATION has been nothing short of remarkable. A decade or so ago it was the frankly rather poor relation among Spain’s whites, overshadowed by Albariño, and later Verdejo. Today there has been a striking turnaround.
The variety that came to dominate production was Viura (elsewhere known as Macabeo). It still accounts for two-thirds of the white plantings in the DOCa. however, Viura today needs planting in cooler sites, harvesting earlier, perhaps also blending with other varieties – all the usual practices to enhance freshness
and fight the drabness. The Consejo Regulador has more recently permitted ‘ foreigners’ such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo. There’s a strong case for saying that in most cases these varieties overwhelm the terroir with their own flavours.
Tempranillo Blanco and Maturana Blanca are both recent additions to the permitted list: the former a genetic quirk found in the vineyard and the latter with a very long history in the region, though it has almost disappeared. The jury is still out on both of these; Tempranillo Blanco’s more recognisable name lends it
market appeal, but Maturana Blanca, with its Chablislike freshness, looks more complex and promising.
Then, in small doses for ‘seasoning’, come Torrontés also known as Turruntés (not as in Argentina, but the distinct Albillo Mayor variety); and Malvasía, correctly Malvasía Riojana, and known as Alarije in Extremadura, and Subirat Parent in Penedès, where it sometimes turns up in Cava. Garnacha Blanca is a useful element in blends, giving texture without insipid florality.
Practically all of the wines in my selection here are 100% Viura or Viura-dominant. What distinguishes them more clearly is their use of oak. To be honest, most unoaked white Riojas simply aren’t interesting enough. They are clean, well made and youthful, but they are not complex. On the other hand, wines that have been barrel-fermented and/or barrel-aged have fine subtlety and texture without being overtly oaky. None of these wines has a DOCa ageing category, such as reserva, except the Viña Gravonia, which calls itself a crianza, but with four years in cask and further ageing in bottle it could just as easily be a gran reserva.
Gravonia comes from an iconic family of wines at López de Heredia, uniquely refined and elegant. Its Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco 1996 is currently on sale. The other great classic of Rioja is Castillo Ygay Blanco from Marqués de Murrieta (current release 1986).
Given this, it seems surprising that wineries such as López de Heredia decided to reduce their focus on white varieties. Other great wineries also used to have white wines: in the Barrio de la Estación at Haro, for example, both La Rioja Alta and Muga did. Surely now is the time to turn back to whites, and start again.
‘Most unoaked white Riojas simply aren’t interesting enough’