Tempranillo are excellent for aging. While visiting an old winery in Logronyo, Bodegas Franco Espagnola which was frequented by Papa Hemingway, we had the pleasure of tasting a Bodegas Paternine 1955 and a 1948, both Excellent vintages, made from 100% Tempranillo. Both the wines were minerally, elegant, well balanced, drinking well, vibrant with soft tannins. As my German friend Joel Payne , co-author of the German Wine Guide and a co-taster commented, 'in a blind tasting I would have thought it was much younger, perhaps like a Gran Reserva'. The wine, it appeared would drink well for many more years. This is the sign of  a well made wine made from grapes that age well . Another reason could be the natural acidity of the grape which helps it preserve and age better. Rioja boasts of many old vines, with a normal age of 30-70 years being more the rule than exception.

I have observed the alcohol level of the Rioja reds quite high; 13-14.5% being normal. Surprisingly, the alcohol is well integrated and does not interfere with food. Lighter bodied Crianzas make a good match for Indian foods while Reservas are perfect with red meats, especially the local Iberian ham and churrizos. Many wineries export their Crianzas as Reservas since they meet the legal requirements, a very important point to note for importers as it affects the pricing..

The recent move to bottle earlier and reduce the dominance of oaky aromas has resulted in much more luscious wines. At our tasting , a Cirsion 2004 made by a newer State-of-the-Art winery Roda, in Haro was unanimously the most delicious wine. Made from pre-selected vines and selected cluster of grapes, it is a young wine compared to the classic style of Rioja wines but represents the new wave of winemakers. Selling at US $ 220 in the US , it is available only o n allocation or at the special tastings like we had at the venue and later at the winery.

The white wines are made from 100% Viura , a refreshing, very acidic grape . ( known as Macabeo in Catalonia where it is used as the basic grape for making Cava). I found that addition of 10% Malvasia (as many producers do), tamed the acids and made it more palatable for our taste buds, while adding a bit of body and aromas. Some of the whites are also aged in the barrels for a long time of four to five years. These are more expensive but more expressive of the terroir . Still, reds offer many more reasons to import Riojans into India , even though the price is a lot cheaper for the whites.

Rioja has also taken the lead in producing good quality organic wines. Good values are available for environment friendly consumers. Moreover, Producers in Rioja have woken up to get ready to feed the sleeping giant, the Indian wine market. Undoubtedly, more and more importers and hotels and restaurants  will be adding  these wines to their portfolios as the consumers want  better and diverse wines at affordable price.

Only 12 harvests have been considered ‘ Excellent ' by the Regulating Council of Rioja, which started rating them since 1925. Five of these have been in recent years -2005, 2004, 2001, 1995 and 1994. Of course, 2004 and 2005 vintages have not yet been released and are undergoing the maturation. But 2001 Reservas are already in the market and are generally fabulous. You may pick up most of 2001 vintages at any duty free shops ; you wont be disappointed . They are drinking  well now but will also age gracefully to become much more complex during the next 5-10 years depending on the Estate. 2000 was a difficult vintage and should generally be avoided. 2005 has been declared an Excellent vintage only recently after sampling was completed on March 31, 2005. All other vintages during the last 12 years are Very Good.

Subhash Arora