Focus on Rioja: The 30 Second Wine Adviser takes on the Upper Ebro Valley
“In recent years, the wines of Spain have to a degree gone off in separate directions. Spain has come to be known for its modestly priced, delicious reds (such as the Monastrell of Jumilla) and whites (like the Albariño of Galicia. At the same time, Spain also turns up in the sought-after trophy-wine department with big reds from Priorat and Ribera del Duero.
“Somewhat lost in the rush, it seems to me, is the wine region that - not so long ago - stood for most of us as the trademark wine of Spain. Located in northern Spain at the edge of Basque country along the Ebro River (and reportedly named after its tributary, the Rio Oja), Rioja’s high plain is protected from cold Atlantic winds by the Sierra Cantabria mountains to its north, ensuring a cool, protected climate for viticulture.”
– from 30 Second Wine Advisor: Wine Focus - Rioja, red and white, a recent post on www.wineloverspage.com
A critically lauded and enviably comprehensive online wine resource, wineloverspage.com derives much of its charm, I think, from its impressive interactivity, as evidenced by one of its key features: the WineLovers Discussion Group, or WLDG.
Within two days of the 30 Second Wine Adviser’s focus on Rioja, the WLDG had twenty separate Rioja-related discussions going on, with tasting notes running the Rioja gamut, from a 2007 Marqués de Cáceres Blanco all the way back to a 1968 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva. There was even one discussion that directed online readers to BioR (thanks Brian Berry).
Although I found the page’s three separate shout-outs to its sponsor just a hair on this side of redundant, the four-paragraph 30 Second Wine Adviser on Rioja is about as clear and concise an introduction on the region as you’re likely to find anywhere, and anyway, who am I to take issue with sponsor visibility? Afterall, Rioja is my “sponsor” and it’s everywhere.
Plus, according to its Media Kit, a core tenet of the website’s philosophy–besides its demonstrated commitment to egalitarian accesibility–is the fact that “we pay for the wines we review — to avoid conflicts of interest.”
And speaking of reviews, scroll down to the bottom of the aforementioned post and you’ll find a review of Muga’s 2004 Rioja Reserva:
A bunch of juicy cherries in the aroma, with back notes of earth and just a hint of fragrant black pepper. Cherries on the palate add a whiff of vanilla; crisp acidity and smooth but mouth-coating tannins. Very young for a Reserva, still quite “primary,” it will reward years of cellar time. Still, it’s enjoyable now, particularly with bold red-meat flavors on the table, and carries its 14% alcohol well.
Very nice. I like tasting notes that are descriptive without sounding overedited. I would venture a guess that “a bunch of juicy cherries” is exactly what appears in the reviewer’s notebook.
On a somewhat related note, one source tells me that the talented Irish actor Gabriel Byrne was spotted in an NYC wine shop one evening last month, presumably on his way to a holiday dinner party.
His purchase?
Bodegas Muga 2004 Rioja Reserva.
Muga 2004 Reserva is $21.47/bottle at PJ Wine in New York City. For additional retailers in your area, go to:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Muga+Reserva/2004/USA-/USD/A/-/0
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:40 am
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