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Was 2008 a good year for Rioja?
Rated ‘Very Good’ by Rioja’s official control board, the vintage’s quality was very much influenced by the Indian summer. By selectively harvesting, growers could bring in healthy fruit with good balance of colour, acidity and alcohol potential.
What is the difference between Rioja and Crianza?
‘Crianza’ refers to the ageing regulations for red wines set out by the region’s wine control board, the Consejo Regulador DOCa Rioja. These wines don’t have to be aged, meaning they are generally more fruit-forward styles, not influenced by oak.
Is Crianza a good wine?
The goal of Crianza is a high-quality daily drinking wine. It’s not too rich, but with Tempranillo’s natural high tannin it has quite a bit more body than Merlot. It’s like a great valued Cabernet Sauvignon.
Is Crianza better than Reserva?
Crianza is aged for at least 1 year in oak and 1 year in bottle (6 months in oak for whites). Reserva uses better quality grapes from the best vintages, it is aged 1 year in oak and 2 years in bottle (2 years ageing, 6 months of which is in oak for whites) and these wines have ageing potential.
Does Riojas age well?
Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Toro are the most important areas. Tempranillo ages very well, but starts from a fairly developed place, due to the long-term barrel and estate aging that many of these wines undergo.
How long can you keep a Crianza?
Like basic Rioja, however, Crianza isn’t considered an age-worthy wine. You can keep these wines in storage for up to five years, but it’s best to drink them young.
How long is Crianza aged for?
two years
Spanish law requires that for a red wine to be labeled as a Crianza, it must be aged for two years, with a minimum of one year in an oak barrel and for another year in the bottle before it’s sold.
What is the best year for Rioja?
Would you like to know what the vintage was like on that year that is so special to you?
| HARVEST | RATING |
|---|---|
| 2020 | VERY GOOD |
| 2019 | EXCELLENT |
| 2018 | GOOD |
| 2017 | VERY GOOD |
Can you cellar Rioja?
Red Rioja gran reserva must also spend a minimum of two years in oak and an additional three years in the bottle before it’s released on the market. You’ll want to cellar the bottle for a minimum of ten years; however, most gran reserva drinks beautifully 20 or even 30 years after release.
What does Crianza taste like?
What does Rioja taste like? At the Crianza level wines are aged in used oak barrels which imparts minimum oak flavours. The tannins are still high but it is an easy to drink fruity wine. However, at the Reserva level grapes used are far more select, and the oak is much more evident.