Rioja Wines – Episode #180

February 12, 2007

Wines tasted in this episode:

Spanish Rioja wines are put to the test by Gary Vaynerchuk, sit back and enjoy and please jump in and mention some of your favorite Rioja’s and anything else you would like to say about wine!

143 Responses

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February 13, 2007

eugene
Glenn

The wine you’re talking about is Bodegas Faustino and is available everywhere.
February 13, 2007

eugene
Gary,
Thanks for the long overdue Rioja episode!
I was really surprised with Riscal. I’ve had it before many times (not 2002 though). Yes it’s not really complex but as I remember it is light body, smooth to the point of being too smooth, lots of cherries, tobacco, some chocolate and oak of course. All in all pleasant wine. Is it possible that you had a bad bottle?
February 13, 2007

Antonio TouriÃ±o
Gary,

Thanks for the Rioja episode. Spanish and South American wines are what we normally get around these parts. MarquÃ©s de CÃ¡ceres IS available EVERYWHERE… Thanks for the vintage tips. Still, I will seek out the 2002 vintage just to taste what I should avoid. How’s that for backwards logic? hehe.

Cheers from Panama.
February 13, 2007

Metal Dave
QOTD:
Bodegas Ontanon Rioja Gran Reserva 1999

I tasted this when the MD of this winery came to Ireland to do a tasting with some of our customers. It was my first time having the Gran Reserva. Fantastic. Their Crianza is our best selling read wine in our entire shop. Gary, check out their website at http://www.ontanon.es
February 13, 2007

dustin
Hey, I live in Alabama. I think next time you have a free shipping code in an episode, you should also sneak in a code that allows wine to be shipped to us prohibited states…

QOTD: I’ve never had a Spanish wine. Being as new to wine as I am, I might just go with the Marques De Caceres, since it’s available and “entry level.”
February 13, 2007

LouieNY
Dont have a favorite spanish wine really, but after your tasting of the 2000 Gloria De Ostatu Rioja Alavesa I have to get my hands on a bottle or 2 of that, Your description matches exactly what im looking for lately in a red. Thanks Gary
February 13, 2007

dealbhadair
Thanks for giving me the intro to Spanish wine, Gary!
Sad to say, I’ve never tried one.
Oh, BTW… Ummm… who was?… *gulp*… uh… wow.
February 13, 2007

manual
i love spanish wines so thank you for the Rioja episode. i will for sure be triyng the 98′ Lopez. QOTD – monastrell wines from jumilla and yecla have been finding there way into my kitchen ever since my girlfriend and i visited spain last year. particularly the 100% monastrell dessert wines. those are my favorite by far based on their unique plum flavors and that they pair so wonderfully with chocolate. on another note, i am just now finishing a bottle of Abbazia Di Novacella Stiftskellerei Neustift 2005 Kerner. what a grape! this smells absolutely like Fruity Pebbles. and i think it has great balance for it’s 14.5 alcohol. do you know more about this white varietal? if so, i would appreciate your opinion. thanks again!
February 13, 2007

glenn
OK, 1st – who was the Betty? sweet to sneak her in.

2nd QOTD for you: i was in The Canary Islands years ago gambling and had a meal in the casino restaurant. i was chaperoning 3 total hottie stews so the somme loved our table. he was feeding us a Rioja with a Spanish King on the label (Ferdinand?) and the king’s Roman numerals were on the bottle. somme told us the higher the Roman numeral the better the vino? i have never seen the wine elsewhere.

my spanish fav these day is Numanthia. i have been buying for years (luckily missed 02) and haven’t been unhappy yet. sitting on 03 &04 now. sadly i drank my 99 & 01; long gone.

free shipping for the old world fans on The Heredia?
February 13, 2007

ol_fezziweg
Good episode. QOTD: 2001 Freixenet Negro Brut. Not sure if it counts, but Freixenet is from the Iberian peninsula, at least. Drank this to celebrate at a startup I worked at and for a long time, it was also my go-to wine for dating purposes. Freixenet is a marketing juggernaut, but the cava is good QPR. Next up: 2004 El Nido Clio.
February 13, 2007

Smith MBA
Good episode, the last Spanish wine I drank was a 2003 Glorioso Rioja. The spanish wine I am most interested in is a Bierzo Mencia.
February 13, 2007

Martin
What’s a nice food pairing for Rioja?
February 13, 2007

flavasauce
oops I meant 2005 chinon
February 12, 2007

flavasauce
QOTD:
First wine that really turned me onto spain wine was a Pesquera- First time I tasted obvious mint which was really cool. I’m loving the 2004 bodegas Arrocal, have a bunch. I definately prefer the tempranillo based spanish as i feel they have the most finesse.
BTW last night I tasted/smelled pickle/ saurkraut juice for the first time in wine in a 2004 Charles Jouget Chinon petit roches, pretty wild. Also picked up obvious green pepper/jalapeno, black olives.
February 12, 2007

DeVino
Best (old world) spain producer: Lopez Heredia.
I got his Bosconia 1947 can not wait to open it. His 81 was special.
February 12, 2007

Nathan N
Cool show. I hope you hit Priorat and Jumilla soon.

QOTD: 03 Equis was my first Spanish wine in 05. My favorite is 03 Vall Lliach Embroix. The next wine will be Juan Gil
February 12, 2007

Benji
QOTD:

Last spanish white wine was the 2000 Godeval Valdeorras Vina Godeval Blanco…so-so.
Last spanish red wine was the 2003 El Nido Clio…agree w/ Gary V and RP.

Next, going to try the 04′ Clio.
February 12, 2007

michael
The first Spanish wine that I tasted was an ‘00 Eguren Codice…not a mind blower but a terrific little wine just the same.

QOTD – An ‘02 Numanthia-Termes Toro Termes…now that was a thought provoking wine. Outstanding!!

My last (but not the first time to experience) Spanish wine was a ‘05 Finca Luzon Jumillia over the weekend…impressive juice for seven bucks. **Badger Ann (#35) I don’t think you will be disappointed.

In closing I also agree w/ the choices of Susan (#21); Juan Gil (Susan, if you enjoy the ‘04 see if you can locate an ‘02…it won’t disappoint), E-Rock (#40), Bill Ross (#56), Jack (#58) RE: Tres Picos Garnacha; consistent is a good word to describe this juice, one vintage to another. Lil Luce (#60) RE: 1996 Muga Rioja Prado Enea Gran Reserva…it should be a treat. Enjoy! Your comments brought memories of the ‘89 that I had had the pleasure of drinking a few years back.
February 12, 2007

SteviefreakinD
Hey Gary. QOD. I’ve only had four or five Spanish wines that I can think of. But to answer your question, I just finished the Las Rocas vinas viegias garnacha as I was watching this episode. So far this one is my favorite. I tasted it right when I opened it and didn’t know what to think. (Maybe not so good). Then let it decant for six hours. It really opened up nice. Structure, balance, great fruit, awsome mouth feel and great finish.

I also had the 1998 Lopez De Heredia a couple of weeks ago. I hated it. I thought there was no finish to it and weak flavor. (Like it was watered down). I love new and old world styles. Love Burgundy and Bordeaux, and rustic Italian wines. This one was just not for me.

Who’s the hottie in the audience?
February 12, 2007

Carlitos
Thanks for the Rioja episode. We were definitely missing a Spanish episode. Too bad that you chose the wrong wines, or the wrong vintages. You said it yourself, 2002 to be avoided, 2003 was too hot. And you also got 1998 and 2000 which were only ok and only the 2004 but for a cheap “cosechero”. You owed it to yourself to try the better vintages, but I guess next time. Also looking forward to a Priorat, Ribera, CataluÃ±a or Jumilla/Yecla episode.

Being from Spain I can’t really remember the first Spanish wine I had. Probably some table wine when I was 5 or 6. The best was probably a 1994 Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva. My wife really loves Riojas. We cherish incredible memories from visiting the Lopez the Heredia winery in Haro, Rioja. The most impressive visit to an old school winery. We also run into an amazing small size producer in Cenicero, Rioja, called Valdelana. Family run and amazing quality for a dirt cheap price. You should try to check it out, Gary.

I’m also fond of the Cabs from Navarra and Somontano. I’ve lately been impressed by the Monastrells from Jumilla/Yecla. CastaÃ±o, LuzÃ³n, Santa Ana, Alto de la Hoya… Looking forward to an episode on those.

Salud!
February 12, 2007

orie0704
QOTD1: Pedro Ximenez Montilla-Moriles Solera 1910, January 2005, the morning after attending Die Arzteball in Vienna.

QOTD2: probably the 2001 Pasanau Priorat “Finca La Planeta”

First Spanish wine, like many others here apparently, was a Marques de Caceres Rioja in 1998, purchased at a “supermarchÃ©” in Boulogne-sur-la-mer, on a cross-Channel wine buying junket.
February 12, 2007

cgf
GV-
cool ep. I have only tried a couple of riojas, and they were similar to the first 3 wines tasted today. the first Spanish wine I ever had was “Equis” which was some 8 dollar red blend that was pretty good from what i remember.

The last spanish wine i had was the las rocas. I had it blind in a flight with other under 10 dollar wines. I was not that impressed. To each his own.

I am looking forward to a week of good themes like this. If you need any Finger Lakes wine for the Finger Lakes episode, I would be happy to donate one. I was in a week ago, and the selection looked really thin. Let me know…
February 12, 2007

brauniac
Favorite Spanish wine? I had a Valduero Crianza 2001 from Ribera del Duero tonight with pork tenderloin. Totally surprised by it!
February 12, 2007

dirty_bosox
G-man,
been a “lurker” for nearly fifty or sixty episodes, and the QOD finally got me out of the closet.
i’ve only been drinking wine for less than a year now but my plan was to start with spain and grenache, and move around the world from there to get a good feel of each region. Spain seems so consistant and working class than any other regions i’ve had so far, i love it.
the first i had, beginning VERY recently, was a Coto de Hayas from Campo de Borja, which i remember liking. However, my fav so far – and i even bought a case of it – has been the Tres Picos Garnacha ‘05…Solid and interesting all the way around….and, of course, i really liked the Can Blau.
-DB
February 12, 2007

Riezin
Most memorable Spanish wine that comes to mind was a Tilenus mecia from Bierzo i had at Bar Jamon in NYC shortly after it opened. It was my first taste of mecia and so different from the riojas i’d tried. Really made an impression. Recently I really enjoyed the Luna Beberide Tierras De Luna you guys are currently stocking.