Old style Spanish Reds?

I used to drink quite a bit of Tempranillo, but quit when all of the old favorites started going to a more international style. Now that we live in a larger city, there are more choices.

But, I've been finding that a lot more producers are going international. Any reccos for a leaner style of Spanish Red...something more food friendly?

Thanks,

Richard

Richard,
I do not have any answers but my history with tempranillo is like yours, too many new world styles with oak. I know there are many good ones out there but we need an expert. Where is Joe when you need him?
Walt

*ahem*

Even many of the traditional producers have modernized a bit over the past few vintages. Still, some solid Rioja choices are:

Cune
R Lopez de Heredia
Marques de Riscal
Marques de Murrieta
Riojanas
Muga
La Rioja Alta
Castillo Labastida
Bodegas Franco-Espanolas
Paternina
Rioja Santiago
Berberana
Monticello
Marques de Caceres
Campillo
Bodegas Bilbainas

Best,
Joe

*ahem*

Even many of the traditional producers have modernized a bit over the past few vintages. Still, some solid Rioja choices are:

Cune
R Lopez de Heredia
Marques de Riscal
Marques de Murrieta
Riojanas
Muga
La Rioja Alta
Castillo Labastida
Bodegas Franco-Espanolas
Paternina
Rioja Santiago
Berberana
Monticello
Marques de Caceres
Campillo
Bodegas Bilbainas

Best,
Joe

Joe,
I am a major fan of Lopez de Heredia and have also had some nice Monticello wines that are not that expensive. Any priority of the producers you listed?
Thanks,
Walt

Joe,
I am a major fan of Lopez de Heredia and have also had some nice Monticello wines that are not that expensive. Any priority of the producers you listed?
Thanks,
Walt

Currently this is where I'd put them. 10 or 20 years ago and everything changes.

R Lopez de Heredia
La Rioja Alta
Cune
Muga
Riojanas
Marques de Murrieta
Marques de Riscal
Paternina
Castillo Labastida
Berberana
Bodegas Bilbainas
Monticello
Marques de Caceres
Bodegas Franco-Espanolas
Rioja Santiago
Campillo

Best,
Joe

Thanks Joe,

Thats exactly what I was looking for.

Richard

Walt and Joe, I think it might be a good idea to try and push for a region of Spain for an upcoming Wine Focus. I am looking at some wines from Calatayud right now, garnacha I believe. That is a nice summer red!!

What do you think? I am becoming an even bigger fan of Spain thanks to a local winestore which features Spain and Portugal very strongly.

Richard, thanks for posting this thread. Do you have a good choice in your area (Spain that is)?

**** yesterday I picked up the `05 Garnacha de Fuego (Bodegas Zabrin) for around $14 Cdn. An absolute bargain around here! Did a google and thought "wow, this will be good".

I used to drink quite a bit of Tempranillo, but quit when all of the old favorites started going to a more international style. Now that we live in a larger city, there are more choices.

But, I've been finding that a lot more producers are going international. Any reccos for a leaner style of Spanish Red...something more food friendly?

Thanks,

Richard

Richard, are you aware of this guy in Houston. Blue State Carpetbagger`s Red State Wine Blog?

Bob wrote:

Richard, are you aware of this guy in Houston. Blue State Carpetbagger`s Red State Wine Blog?

New one on me Bob.

Richard, thanks for posting this thread. Do you have a good choice in your area (Spain that is)?

No real favorites yet, Bob...but there are sooo many Spanish Wines available from the largest retailier (Spec's) But, rather than drink one oak bomb after another, I thought I'd inquire and narrow the field a bit.

Richard

Muga Prado Enea---not Torre Muga Joe should tell you these things. I am not an expert on Spanish wines. Maybe VS will chime in?

Joe, thanks for the list - very useful. But what do you think of Coto de Imaz? We have the '96 GR here, which I think is the most "old style" Rioja available here.

Muga Prado Enea---not Torre Muga Joe should tell you these things. I am not an expert on Spanish wines. Maybe VS will chime in?

Well, Muga has the Torre Muga and Aro. Murietta makes the Dalmau. Caceres makes the Gaudium. Riscal makes the Baron de Chirel...

It seems like most producers make an uber-modern cuvee. Just follow the old rule that: If the bottles heavy and expensive, pass. Thankfully, most of the above wines are hard to find and always have shelf talkers like "99 points!"

Best,
Joe

Joe, thanks for the list - very useful. But what do you think of Coto de Imaz? We have the '96 GR here, which I think is the most "old style" Rioja available here.

I like Coto de Imaz. It's a bit on the plush side, but the fruit is in check. It's a lot like Ramon Bilbao.

The 1996 Imaz Gran Reserva is good stuff. I haven't had it in years.

Best,
Joe

About 90% of all Rioja made today is still fully traditional. Is it available in the US? Possibly not all of it, but some should be found. (Note that the name is Montecillo, not Monticello.)

All of the following (and heretofore unmentioned here) wineries are quite traditional; most of them don't make any of those fearsome 'super cuvées' using (gasp! gosh! horror!) French oak:

Viña Salceda
Ramírez de la Piscina
Telmo Rodríguez (Lanzaga)
Solabal
Beronia
Solana de Ramírez Ruiz
Martínez Lacuesta
Alicia Rojas
Consejo de la Alta
Bretón
Lagunilla
Barón de Ley
Amézola de la Mora
Carlos Serres
Luis Cañas
Corral
Berceo
Hermanos Peciña
Faustino
Heredad Ugarte
Domecq (Marqués de Arienzo)
Real Divisa
Santiago Ijalba
Marqués de Vitoria
Ontañón
Navajas
Escudero
Jesús & Félix Puelles
Olarra
Ondarre
Murúa
Gómez Cruzado
Viña Herminia
San Pedro
Alavesas
Age (Azpilicueta)
Vallemayor
Juan Alcorta
Bodegas y Viñedos de la Marquesa
David Moreno Peña
Valgrande

Thanks Victor,

Are these in order of preference?

It sounds like my perception of current Spanish Reds has been skewed by the over abundance of big, oaky style wines available in this market.

These days, I've pretty much strayed from Tempranillo and gone almost totally over to Sangiovese. At one time is was a 50/50 split for nice acid driven reds that paired so well with meals.

Richard

Are these in order of preference?

He hates them all equally

You wont see a number of the producers Victor listed, and a few that you will see are on the low-end of things. He does list a few good producers like Ramírez de la Piscina and Marqués de Vitoria that I had forgotten.

Best,
Joe

No tempranillo wine has ever been acid-driven. Tempranillo is a notoriously low-acid variety. The acidity in these traditional wines comes from either of these origins: 1) lots of mazuelo/carignan in the blend; 2) a generous dollop of tartaric acid (this is quite 'traditional', too); 3) a combination of 1) and 2).

(The order of the wines is random.)

a few that you will see are on the low-end of things.

Like... which ones?

Oh, come on. When's the last time you thought a bottle of Faustino or Marqués de Arienzo was top shelf?

When's the last time you thought a bottle of Faustino or Marqués de Arienzo was top shelf?

About the same time I thought any of the following wines was top shelf:

Paternina
Castillo Labastida
Berberana
Marques de Caceres
Bodegas Franco-Espanolas
Rioja Santiago

[Jenise]

Has Remelluri fallen? I was surprised not to see it on anyone's list.

[David M. Bueker]

Last bottle of Remelluri I had (I think it was a 1998) was very, very oaky. I haven't tried it in a better vintage to know if that was a stylistic issue or just a lighter vintage more dominated by its oak.

Has Remelluri fallen? I was surprised not to see it on anyone's list.

IMO, Remelluri isn't traditional.

When's the last time you thought a bottle of Faustino or Marqués de Arienzo was top shelf?

About the same time I thought any of the following wines was top shelf:

Paternina
Castillo Labastida
Berberana
Marques de Caceres
Bodegas Franco-Espanolas
Rioja Santiago

Well, they are certainly a more solid choice. Labastida is an awesome QPR.

Best,
Joe