by Hoke » Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:15 pm
Hey, Don:
A bunch of folks have chimed in to give you the info you need, so I'm coming to the party late.
The Marques you cite is one of the standard, very safe, reliable and consistent producers of Rioja. The winery is located in the small town of ElCiego in the Rioja Alavesa (Alava, or the Alevesa) is one of the three sections of Rioja, and it's called Alavesa because it's heavy in Basque population and tradition. Also significant for good wine production.
The Marques has always been one of the standby go-to wines for Rioja, presenting, as I said, a very reliable, consistent and pleasant drinking wine for a damned good price.
The trouble with Rioja is that once the Spanish economy started reviving, new markets opened up (not least of which was the US market) and the EU came to prominence, things started to change pretty quickly. Many wineries quickly adopted new technology (and mostly, new sanitation methods), both of which vastly improved the general quality of the wines, although in many cases it sort of blanded out some of them, made them less distinctive and individualistic. In many cases also, the influx of new technology, new ideas from outside, and mostly new money resulted in the dreaded 'globalization' effect, which meant gobbier fruit, higher alcohol and waaaaay more oak influence. And, sadly, escalating prices.
So Rioja now can be a dangerous minefield to walk through. Things are still in flux, and it's hard to predict what you'll get when you buy a bottle, or whether it will suit your taste. On the other hand, there's far less chance of getting outright bad (i.e, spoiled or flawed) wine these days.
UberGeeks like Perry are generally a good guide to what's going on there, although he's as prone to his own preferences as anyone else, enthusiastically boosting his own faves and just as enthusiastically lambasting those he doesn't like. (Hi, Joe.)
Point is, you've landed on a very good thing with Rioja, and Spanish wines in general (the white as much right now, if not more so, as the reds, imo). Experiment your butt off with the Spanish right now. You won't be sorry. The quality is there, and.....generally...the price is right, and their are treasures to be found.
For instance, the tiny little area of Bierzo makes a red from a variety called Mencia...if you see that around (that is, the lower priced versions, which are generally less goopified and simpler), try it.
But if you stick with trying Riojas, that alone will be immensely rewarding.
.
