Marqués de Cáceres Excellens Cuvée Especial Crianza 2017 (Rioja) - Wine Review

For tonight's wine review, I Arrive in Style with this lovely, vegan-friendly Tempranillo that came to the LCBO last weekend as part of the November 13th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Produced by Marqués de Cáceres, and although the winery was only founded by Enrique Forner in 1970, the enterprising family's origins in wine go back much further to 1920, when Enrique's grandfather and father established a family business in Valencia devoted to the production, sale, and export of wine.

Today, Enrique's daughter, Cristina Forner, manages the winery with pride. The Forner family is one of the great Spanish wine families, known for producing high-quality wines, while the wines of Marqués de Cáceres can be found globally in more than 120 countries now thanks to the key role played by Cristina. In the early years of Marqués de Cáceres, Enrique Forner was advised by a friend having success in Bordeaux to apply new growing and production techniques - vineyard control, grape selection, cold production in order to extract the first aromas, ageing in new and semi-new French oak, and long refinement in the bottle in order to strengthen the great virtues of the Tempranillo grape. All of these improvements resulted in wines of finesse and elegance. Marqués de Cáceres continues it's success today by investing in technology and innovation while offering consumers a wine they can consistently enjoy.

This 100% Tempranillo was grown on mainly clay and limestone soils, with some parcels having more iron-rich subsoils, from vineyards planted on gentle hillsides to those 'drooping' at the town's highest altitudes. The grapes were manually harvested, parcel by parcel, and took place as the grapes reached maturity, meaning that they had to return to some vineyards several times because the grape were reaching maturity at different times. At the winery, the grapes were de-stemmed and crushed, followed by fermentation and long skin-contact maceration in stainless steel tanks. It was aged for 14 months in medium-toast French oak barrels and followed by at least 12 months in bottle prior to release.

After liking the 2015 Marqués de Cáceres Excellens Cuvée Especial a couple of years ago, let's see how this bottling, which is from a very good vintage, is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES EXCELLENS CUVÉE ESPECIAL CRIANZA 2017 - Collecion Privada, Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#10684) (XD) - $17.95
100% Tempranillo. The medium to medium-high intensity nose offers lovely rich black and dark red berry aromas alongside sweet & fine wood spice, tobacco, coconut, and earthy notes. On the medium-full bodied palate the sweet and fine wood spice notes really shine, followed by black and red berry, black cherry, sweet spices, clove, and savoury wet earth flavours. Acids are succulent and well-balanced, while the structured tannins are a touch chalky and drying. Earthy notes linger on the lengthy finish. Excellent, as the name suggests, and a highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from Marqués de Cáceres are available through their Agent - Dionysus Wines & Spirits.

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LAN Crianza 2016 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely Rioja from Spain that is a VINTAGES Essentials product and widely available at LCBO outlets across Ontario. It is also available for online ordering with the option to pick-up in-store or have it delivered to your nearest Canada Post office.

As of 2012, Bodegas LAN (which takes its name from the three provinces that make up Rioja - Logroño, Alava, and Navarra) became part of the Sogrape group of wines, but it was founded in 1972 and has over 108 hectares of vineyards in Rioja and Rias Baixas and wine production facilities in both regions. The main vineyard is their historic 72 hectare Viña Lanciano that sits along the Ebro River and on the border between Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. It is a privileged location that is sheltered by the Cantabria Mountains, creating different microclimates in each of its 22 parcels, and where they respect the logical balance of nature through sustainable vine growing.

This red wine is the most famous from Bodegas LAN and best reflects their innovations in barrel ageing. With this wine two decades ago, they started using hybrid oak barrels that have French oak bases and American oak staves that contribute a unique mix of characters to the wine. The grapes for this wine come from selected vineyards in the Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, where the age of the vines are between 10 and 20 years and raised on chalky-clay soils that are located on well-drained slopes with good sun exposure.

Tasting Note:

LAN CRIANZA 2016 - DOC Rioja, Spain (#166538) (XD) - $16.95
This Tempranillo was aged for 14 months in hybrid oak barrels and delivers a fragrant and nicely balanced savoury, earthy nose that mingles with sandalwood oak spice, red cherry, and dark berry aromas. It's medium-bodied on the palate with lovely savoury, sandalwood, and cherry flavour replays, plus some coconut notes. Acids are juicy and well-balanced, while smooth tannins are dry and dusty. Earthy and savoury notes linger on the long finish. Recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

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Vallobera Crianza 2005 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a nice red wine that I purchased from an LCBO VINTAGES Release way back in November 2008.

The tasting note in the VINTAGES magazine indicated that this Crianza could be aged until 2020. However, my research today indicates that this wine probably should have been opened 3-4 years ago. Looking at my bottle, I see there is noticeable ullage (the gap of air between the top of the wine and the cork), indicating that some oxidation has occurred. Let's see how this red wine is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

VALLOBERA CRIANZA 2005 - DOCa, Rioja, Spain (#092429) (XD) - $19.95
This 100% Tempranillo was aged in French and American oak for 14 months. The medium intensity nose has mature dried berry, blackberry, sweet baking spice and sweet oak aromas with touches of rose floral and scorched earth adding complexity. It is medium bodied with savoury and earthy flavours along with touches of dried plum, fig, cigar box, and sweet spice. Mature tannins have a slightly grippy, drying texture. More earthy, tobacco, and savoury notes on the long, juicy finish. Enjoyable, but drink now if you have a bottle. Score: 88+ pts

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Marqués de Cáceres Crianza 2014 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious Rioja that came to LCBO VINTAGES on July 20 and plenty of bottles are still available for purchase across Ontario.

Marqués de Cáceres was founded in La Rioja and Cenicero, within the heart of the La Rioja Alta sub-region in Spain in 1970 by Enrique Forner, forming an historic alliance between a region and an enterprising family that has been devoted to the wine trade for five generations.

After making wine at his own Chateaux's in Bordeaux, he brought the same reformist spirit when he returned to Spain and employed some of the same techniques for success such as vineyard control, grape selection, cold production, ageing in new and semi-new French oak barrels, and long refinement in the bottle. All of this contributes to wines that can show finesse and elegance. Their first wine was the 1970 Crianza which was released to the public in 1975 and offered more fruity notes over wood when compared to classic Riojas of the time.

In the 1990's, a trend for innovation took hold in La Rioja. Young oenologists and wine producers looked to Bordeaux for inspiration, just as Enrique Forner had done twenty years previously, and worked the terroir and vineyards, to obtain profiles that were different to the traditional Riojas. Marqués de Cáceres was advised by Michel Rolland - the most influential oenologist in Bordeaux at the time - and together they were united by a great obsession to create quality wines.

Their single objective at Marqués de Cáceres is to have the best vine growers and vineyards in La Rioja to produce the best wines, an obsession that continues today, led by the fourth generation of this wine family, Cristina Forner. They are also the best-known Rioja in Spain as well as one of the top 50 most admired wine brands globally.

Tasting Note:

MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES CRIANZA 2014 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#638775) (D) - $16.95
Blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha & 5% Graciano aged in both French and American oak. The medium intensity nose delivers red cherry/berry notes with hints of dried red fruit, followed by sweet oak spice, herbs, and floral aromas. The medium+ bodied palate is fresh and lively, offering more red cherry, floral, and oak spiced flavours surrounding a savoury, earthy core. Refined tannins offer a nice, dusty texture with a touch of chalkiness. Finish is long and earthy. A satisfying Rioja to enjoy over the next 3 years. Score: 88 pts

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