National Red Wine Day is August 28th, Celebrate with La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva Rioja Wed, Aug 28, 24 | wine In my world, celebrating wine is an everyday way of life. But, since the calendar day-namers have arbitrary chosen TODAY to collectively celebrate the wonderful libation that is red wine, I will raise a glass in solidarity with my fellow Americans!This week's feature is a Bold Rioja from La Rioja Alta. This wine is made of 100% Tempranillo and has all of the nuances of a well made Napa or Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon. I often call Tempranillo a 'gateway' wine from California Cab drinkers into the exciting world of European wines. Tempranillo at its core is a blank canvas, waiting for a winemaker to use some of the tricks in their bag to create fun, delicious and versatile wines that can suit any occasion. in 1890, France's vineyards were ravaged by phylloxera and wine connoisseurs were looking for fine wine to fill the gap. A group of 5 quality conscious growers formed La Rioja Alta looking to export more Rioja wines and satisfy the wine needs of the world. Rioja had already caught the eye of many Bordeaux producers and experiments using Bordeaux techniques were proving successful. Pre-railway, the wines of Rioja were hard to distribute. The mountains that provide the necessary terroir and climatic conditions that make Rioja great were also a transportation barrier in late 19th century Spain. A rail link from Haro to Bilbao was constructed at the same time La Rioja Alta was founded and provided a pathway to the Atlantic's Bay of Biscay. With this new means of transportation, the world's access to the wines of Rioja was realized!Tempranillo is Spain's number one red grape that has been made famous by the Rioja region. It is a red wine that can range from ruby red in a youthful expression to a dark garnet in a Reserve version. High in both tannin and acidity, the wines of Rioja are traditionally oaked for at least 1 year. American Oak is a popular choice, but some more traditional producers use European Oak. Similar flavors to Cabernet Sauvignon: black cherry, red cherry, graphite, aged versions can express tobacco, leather and other tertiary profiles. La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Rioja Reserva is one of the classic expressions of the region. In fact, the Court of Master Sommeliers uses this very wine to blind taste Sommelier candidates for its representative markers of Rioja. 2019 Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva92 Points- John GilmanThe 2019 Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva from La Rioja Alta is made entirely from tempranillo, with the vines at least forty years of age. The wine is aged entirely in small American oak barrels for two years, with the first year in new wood and the second in three wine barrels. The wine is excellent on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet offering up a complex blend of red and black raspberries, woodsmoke, a touch of spiced meats, chalky soil tones, cloves, nutmeg, a touch of nutskin and a nice mix of smoky and toasted coconutty oak scents. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with superb depth of fruit, lovely soil inflection and grip, moderate, buried tannins and fine balance on the long, complex and classy finish. This is already very tasty, but it has plenty of well-integrated tannins still on the finish and 74 tucking it away in the cellar for four or five years will result in a more velvety and complex wine. Fine juice. 2024-2055+ Since it is Labor Day and the grilling will be happening, if you can have this with a rack of lamb or a well- marbled ribeye steak, it'll make your weekend!Happy red wine sipping! Shop Our Wine Selection By Jill Pienta Tags: wine rioja
