Barón de Ley Gran Reserva 2015 (Rioja) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is an excellent, vegan-friendly blend of Tempranillo and Graciano from the Classic European Wine Region of Rioja that arrived at the LCBO recently as part of the April 29th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is still widely available across the province.

It is produced by Barón de Ley, a family-owned winery located in Rioja, Spain's most celebrated wine region with a privileged terroir to farm and craft premium quality wines. A relatively young winery, Barón de Ley was founded in 1985 as a ground-breaking project in DOCa Rioja as a vineyard-focused winery that was inspired by French châteaux and specializing in premium Rioja wines. They are housed in a monastery that was built in 1548 on the banks of the Ebro river where vineyards and winemaking were introduced by monks in 1568. The Estate changed hands numerous times over the years and was eventually purchased by a family that remained there for three generations as they farmed crops and raised livestock until it was acquired and re-born as Barón de Ley. The name "de ley" comes from the Spanish expression for "legit", and at at Barón de Ley they take care of every little detail to offer in every bottle an excellent, trustworthy wine - a genuinely good Rioja.

Barón de Ley launched their first wines in 1990, including this Gran Reserva which is one of the signature wines of the Estate. After growing the business throughout the 90s, In 2000, Barón de Ley renewed their winemaking philosophy with Gonzalo Rodríguez recruited as the new Chief Winemaker, encouraging the planting of new indigenous grape varieties. Success and growth continued over the ensuing decade, and by 2008 they owned over 600 hectares of vineyards across different sub-regions with a variety of micro-climates and soils. In 2018, they renovated their vinification facilities with state-of-the-art winemaking techniques and constructed a new oak ageing cellar to expand their ageing capacity. As a specialist in Reserva and Gran Reserva wines, Barón de Ley honours Rioja's acclaimed tradition of long ageing in French and American oak barrels.

This red wine is a blend of mainly Tempranillo plus some Graciano. The grapes were grown in the best terroirs in their old vineyards in Cenicero, in Rioja Alta, in an area with Mediterranean climate with a clear Atlantic influence, and low yields. These conditions are ideal for creating elegant wines with ageing capacity. After manually harvesting and selecting the bunches, the individual berries were mechanically selected using their state-of-the-art sorting table. This process ensures that only the best grapes are used, which in turn helps deliver the maximum quality of the wine. After fermentation, the wine was aged for a minimum of 24 months in American and French oak casks, followed by a further 36 months in bottle.

Only marketed in the best vintages, the 2015 vintage was a very good one in Rioja that began with a balmy and dry spring. Temperatures rose quickly thereafter, but Rioja did receive some rejuvenating showers in June. Heat records were broken in July and the intense heatwave continued for much of the summer. Fortunately, temperatures cooled for the most part in August and September, leading to an early harvest with balanced ripening and exceptionally healthy grapes. The higher (and cooler) vineyards produced wines of great aromatic complexity and concentration, and stand out for their finesse and elegance. Let's see how this 2015 Gran Reserva from Rioja is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

BARÓN DE LEY GRAN RESERVA 2015 - Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#642496) (XD) - $34.95
Blend of Tempranillo and Graciano. Lovely, slowly emerging and complex aromas of Indian spices, red and black cherry, underbrush, forest floor, olive, pot pourri, and sandalwood rise out of the glass. It's medium-full to full-bodied with very good depth and delicious flavours of red and black cherry, spices, cedar wood, underbrush, and forest floor in a dry, lightly tangy profile. It has very good, juicy acidity, while the well-structured, dusty textured tannins are lightly chalky and grippy on the back palate. Cedary, sandalwood, and earthy notes linger on the long savoury finish, with excellent length. Enjoy this highly recommended buy to the end of the decade. Score: 92+ pts

Limited quantities of the Reserva is available at the LCBO, while the full portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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El Coto de Imaz Gran Reserva 2015 (Rioja) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this excellent Gran Reserva from Rioja that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the March 18th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is crafted by El Coto, a wine producer that carried out its first harvest in 1970 in the Denomination of Origin Rioja and inaugurated its first facility in Oyón, within the province of Álava, in 1976. After the management team led by Eduardo Santos-Ruiz came together in 1979, the commercial network was built throughout the 80s, laying the foundation for the creation of a great brand.

In 1990, El Coto consolidated its position as a benchmark in Rioja wines and, consequently, greatly increased its international presence and demand. In order to meet this increase in demand, they expanded the winery several times throughout the 90s. In 2000, at the beginning of the new millenium, El Coto de Rioja established itself as the leading Crianza and Reserva brand in the Spanish market, and in 2004 their property Los Almendros became the largest vineyard in all of the Denomination of Origin Rioja.

Depicted on the labels of each El Coto wine brand is a portion of the original handcrafted engraving, or in the case of their top Coto Real wine - a complete reproduction, that incorporates details directly linked to the company's history. This engraving is a natural vignette with iconic elements for El Coto de Rioja and includes the deer that receives visitors at the entrance to the winery and the Monastery of Imaz, as well as emblematic and historical elements that now also form part of their presentations.

El Coto is an artisan of wine. They owns eight vineyards, all of which surround their property. Because they own all of their vineyards, they are able to control their production year-after-year in search of the quality that they want for their wines. This attention to detail continues in the winery as they have twelve small, independent wineries situated near each other, each with a specific purpose, yet connected to each other by the knowledge, the work, and the hand of man. Each process in the development of the wine is carried out with the utmost care.

This Gran Reserva is a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano that was vinified in stainless steel tanks for 21-30 days, with just enough maceration to achieve the balance between fruit and extract. It was aged for a minimum of 24 months in American and French oak barrels, followed by a further 36 months of refinement in bottle. From a very good, hot and dry vintage, let's see how this 2015 Rioja is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

EL COTO DE IMAZ GRAN RESERVA 2015 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#976811) (XD) - $34.95
This blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano is open, fragrant, and intensely aromatic with such an attractive nose of fresh and dried red cherry and floral, plus sweet baking spices, cinnamon, vanilla, and savoury cedary and earth undertones adding further complexity. It's medium-full bodied on the dry palate with lovely fresh & dried red cherry and floral, coconut, sandalwood, and oak spice flavours with some tangy notes. It has fresh acidity and well-structured, gently grippy tannins. Savoury, earthy, and cedary with touches of graphite lingering on the long, very satisfying finish. Enjoy over the next 5-7 years. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92+ pts

Other excellent wines by El Coto de Rioja can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Rioja Bordón Gran Reserva 2009 (Spain) - Wine Review

Following up on the delicious 2013 Rioja Bordón Reserva, tonight's wine review is another lovely red wine from Bodegas Franco-Españolas that will be coming to LCBO VINTAGES on June 27th.

Bodegas Franco-Españolas was founded in 1890 in the aftermath of the French wine industry's most devastating incidents - the phylloxera plague - when Bordeaux winemakers affected by the plague departed for Spain in search of the country's best soil and climate to continue their winemaking traditions. The name comes from the fact that it was founded by Frenchman Frederick Anglade Saurat and Spanish partners to become Bodegas Franco-Españolas. By 1922, the winery became entirely Spanish-owned.

The grapes for this Gran Reserva come from vineyards in the 3 sub-areas in Rioja - Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental - each having different soil types, and located on northward-facing slopes in the foothills of the Sierra de la Demanda. After careful selection of the fruit, the bunches are de-stemmed and lightly pressed prior to alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged in new and second-year medium-roasted white American (Ohio) oak barrels for 30 months, with decanting every 6 months to facilitate the natural filtering process. It then stays in the bottle for 36 months for refinement. Bodegas Franco-Españolas is proud to age all of their wines longer than legally required by Rioja wine law.

This Gran Reserva takes me back to a wine tasting I had the honour of attending back in October 2015, where I had the opportunity to taste many back vintage Rioja Bordón Gran Reserva wines - the oldest being a 1982 Rioja Bordón Gran Reserva. Today, the wines of Rioja Bordón are represented in Ontario by Churchill Cellars.

Tasting Note:

RIOJA BORDÓN GRAN RESERVA 2009 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#114454) (XD) - $27.95
A blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Graciano, and 10% Mazuelo that was aged in white American (Ohio) oak barrels for 30 months. Medium-high intensity aromas offer cherry, wood spice, tobacco, chocolate, and leather with touches of barnyard. It's full-bodied on the palate with pleasing savoury aroma replays joined by some clove flavours. Acids are well-balanced, while textured tannins have integrated into the wine quite nicely. The long finish is savoury with earthy, wood spice and barnyard notes. A nicely maturing Rioja that has the structure to enjoy over the next 5+ years. Score: 90+ pts

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Olarra Erudito Reserva Especial 2015 (Spain) - Wine Review

After enjoying the 2010 Olarra Cerro Añon Gran Reserva over the weekend, tonight's wine review is another delicious offering from Bodegas Olarra Group. It arrived in LCBO VINTAGES on September 14th as a Flagship Store Exclusive, and small quantities are still available for purchase throughout Ontario.

The Erudito Reserva Especial, along with the Summa Reserva, are the top-tier, vineyard specific wines from Bodegas Olarra and are only made during exceptional vintages. The grapes for the Erudito come from a specially selected 12 hectare vineyard and are hand-harvested only when the grapes reach full maturity. It was vinified in small vats and fermented and aged on the lees. Further ageing occurred in new barrels for at least 18 months. Prior to bottling, in order to preserve the wine's unique character, it was left to settle without the use of any fining agents. Lastly, it spent a minimum of 18 months in the bottle cellar prior to release.

Tasting Note:

OLARRA ERUDITO RESERVA ESPECIAL 2015 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#378885) (XD) - $39.95
A single-vineyard blend of 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo that delivers an elegant, fragrant and intense nose of blackberry, black cherry, red berry, spice, licorice and smoky mineral aromas. It is medium-full bodied with fresh, juicy acidity that coats the palate. Lovely aroma replays on the flavour profile are joined by tobacco notes that add further complexity. Dusty, fine-grained tannins gain grip on the mid-palate. Excellent length with mineral notes on the long, balanced, and succulent finish. Enjoy over the next 6-7 years. Score: 92 pts

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Olarra Cerro Añon Gran Reserva 2010 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a delicious red wine that arrived in LCBO VINTAGES as part of the Rioja Revelation wine tasting event that took place in downtown Toronto back in October.

It is produced by Bodegas Olarra Group, a winery with 40 years of experience that is also at the forefront of vinegrowing and winemaking in Spain. Bodegas Olarra was founded in 1970 and started by producing classically-styled Rioja wines which are only possible when proper and timely care is taken in the vineyards all throughout the year.

There have been many architectural feats in Rioja over the last 40 years. One of which is the building of Bodegas Olarra. It was designed by Juan Antonio Ridruejo in 1973 and inspired by and for wine. The most prominent feature of this building is the roof that crowns the underground barrel cellar (which holds 27,000 oak barrels) and is made up of 111 hexagonal domes that help prevent sharp changes in temperature.

The Cerro Añón range of wines are Bodegas Olarra's top range and are crafted based on Rioja’s long-standing tradition of combining grapes from different terroirs to create classically-styled wines of perfect assemblage. The grapes for this Gran Reserva primarily come from their vineyards in Rioja Alta, with a smaller portion coming from Rioja Alavesa. The average age of the vines is 30 years, and they sit on clay-rich soil in Rioja Alta, and on limestone-clay soils in Rioja Alavesa.

While this red wine quickly sold out soon after the Rioja Revelation tasting, a small number of cases may still be available through the agent, Trilogy Wine Merchants.

Tasting Note:

OLARRA CERRO AÑON GRAN RESERVA 2010 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#190827) (XD) - $23
A blend of approximately 80% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo, 5% Garnacha, and 5% Graciano that was aged in Allier and Missouri oak barrels for 27 months in a mix of new and used oak, and spent another 45 months in bottle prior to release. Fairly intense aromatics lift out of the glass with savoury, wood spice and dried berry/cherry notes mingling with leather and raisin characters. The aromas come through on the firm, full-bodied palate with juicy, saliva-inducing acids. Well-knit tannins have a slightly chalky texture. Earthy, wood spice, and coffee notes linger on the long, dry finish. Approachable now, but will benefit from ageing and drink well over the next 6-7 years. Score: 90+ pts

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Marqués de Cáceres Gran Reserva 2011 (Spain) - Wine Review

Following up on the delicious 2014 Marqués de Cáceres Crianza, tonight's wine review is another lovely Rioja from Spanish producer Marqués de Cáceres. This red wine arrived at the LCBO recently as part of the September 14th LCBO VINTAGES Release - and plenty are still available for purchase.

Marqués de Cáceres made its first Gran Reserva in 1975 and produces it only in the best vintages. The grapes used in this 2011 vintage are Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, and Graciano which come from a special selection of 35-50 year-old vineyards with some parcels in Rioja Alta that are 65-85 years old. The Tempranillo comes from vineyards planted between 400-620 metres above sea level from different zones within the Cenicero boundary in La Rioja, northern Spain. The Garnacha Tinta comes from selected vineyards located in Rioja Alta at altitudes between 500 m and 650 m, adding finesse, freshness, and structure to the wine. Lastly, Graciano adds a unique style and colour to the blend. All of the grapes come from mainly clay and limestone soils, and were manually harvested, parcel by parcel.

In Spanish wine law, Crianza wines spend one year in oak barrels, while Reserva wines must be aged for 2 years, of which one year must be in oak. Gran Reserva wines must be aged for two years in oak and three years in bottle. However, this Gran Reserva from Marqués de Cáceres is aged for 24-26 months in barrel, followed by a minimum of 4 years in bottle prior to release.

Tasting Note:

MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES GRAN RESERVA 2011 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#976670) (XD) - $29.95
Blend of 85% Tempranillo, 8% Garnacha Tinta, and 7% Graciano. The medium intensity nose has toasty oak and vanilla aromas nuanced with ripe red cherry, floral, and balsamic notes. It is full bodied on the palate with structured, drying tannins that become more pronounced on the mid-palate. Flavours are savoury with sweet spice, plum, dark cherry, and roasted nut notes. Acids are well-balanced while the finish is long and savoury. Approachable now, but should improve in 3 years and drink nicely into the mid-to-late 20's. Score: 89 pts

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CVNE (Spain) Wine Tasting with Maria Larrea

On a fine Sunday morning in May, I had the pleasure of tasting a few wines from Spain's historic CVNE wine company with winemaker María Larrea at George Restaurant in downtown Toronto.

CVNE is actually an abbreviation of Compañía Vinícola del Norte del España, which translates to the Northern Spanish Wine Company. It was founded in 1879 by two brothers in the town of Haro in Rioja, in northern Spain, and has always focused on producing and aging wines. It now comprises of four wineries: CVNE, Imperial, Viña Real and Contino.

Even though the company is officially called CVNE, the producer is more commonly known as Cune (pronounced COO-nay). It was interesting to learn from Maria that the origins of this name are due to a label misprint by the print shop they were using in the early days of the winery's history. The print shop accidentally replaced the "V" with a "U" and the name Cune became quite popular and continues be well-known. Personally, I have always known this producer as Cune.

CVNE garnered its first awards in 1885, and further successes led to the creation of the revolutionary Effel's cellar. The cellar was designed by the famous French architect, Aleixandre Gustave Eiffel, and uses steel trusses running from wall to wall (instead of columns) to support the roof, thus creating a large, open space for the management of the barrels. It was completed in 1909 and is still in use today by Imperial wines.

Imperial wines were first created in 1920 and are some of Spain's greatest wines. The name comes from a special bottling for the English market, in a measure called "Pinta Imperial" or "Imperial Pint". Viña Real wines were also launched at this time. In 1940, the El Carmen winemaking facility became the largest of its kind in Spain and showcased the benefits of using concrete in winemaking.

In 1973, Viñedos del Contino was established by CVNE and the family that owned the Contino vineyard, becoming the first single vineyard site in Rioja. Another first occurred in 1989 when they began using gravity during the fermentation process. In 2004, Viña Real winery was inaugurated by his majesty Juan Carlos I, King of Spain, becoming one of the most advanced wineries in Spain.

Today, the company is still controlled by descendants of the founding family. Maria and I tasted through the three wines listed below and, while all three were enjoyable, we both thought the Imperial Reserva the best. I was also hoping to try the Monopole - Spain's oldest white wine brand that was first introduced in 1915, but unfortunately it was not available for tasting.

Of the three wines I did get to taste, the Crianza and Reserva came to LCBO VINTAGES in May and are still available for purchase at the LCBO. Wines from CVNE's entire portfolio can be purchased through their licensed agent here in Ontario, Von Terra. Thank you, Von Terra, for the opportunity to meet Maria and taste these fine wines from CVNE.

Tasting Notes:

CVNE CUNE CRIANZA 2015 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#039925) (XD) - $16.95
85% Tempranillo and 15% Garnacha Tinta/Mazuelo. From a warm year, the medium-high intensity nose is all red berry and cherry with hints of strawberry and wood adding some complexity. It's light-to-medium bodied with medium-level tannins that are smooth and refined. Pretty aroma replays, plus vanilla and coconut flavours on the palate. Acids are very good. Dry, clean, and easy drinking with a finish length that is very good. Score: 88 pts

CVNE IMPERIAL RESERVA 2014 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#424390) (XD) - $39.95
Blend of 85% Tempranillo and equal parts Graciano, Mazuelo (Carignan), and Grenache spent 18 months in (60%) French and (40%) American oak. Lovely, fairly intense nose offers very complex dark berry, black cherry, blackberry, and black plum aromas, with subtle oak, cinnamon, and spice complementing the dark fruits. The medium-full bodied palate is slightly warm, but the very good fruit concentration holds it all together. Very nice aroma replays are well-balanced on the juicy palate. Nicely balanced overall with smooth tannins and a very long, complex finish. Score: 92 pts

CVNE IMPERIAL GRAN RESERVA 2008 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (XD) - $69.95
Same blend as the Reserva, this is showing maturity on the nose with complex coffee, oak, tobacco, earthy, and savoury aromas, plus hints of blackberry and dark berry. The medium-full bodied palate has complex aroma replays on the flavour profile, plus some dried herb notes. Continues to evolve in the glass. Medium tannins are refined and smooth, while acids are balanced. Excellent finish length with tobacco and forest floor notes. Score: 91 pts

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