AGEABILITY IN RIOJA: 2001 & 2010
Rioja can be a complex region to describe – particularly in relation to other fine wine territories. With many different climates and soils, as well as vineyards with every possible exposure, it does not follow clear geographical guidelines in the way that, say, Bordeaux does. In addition, Rioja producers have traditionally blended several different grape varieties, which puts them far from monovarietal Burgundy.
What’s more, there’s no ‘typical’ Rioja producer, but instead a mix of large companies, family-owned wineries, cooperatives and small growers that moved into winemaking. All of them operate across almost every price segment, which is idiosyncratic. Wine lovers can find Rioja at a wide spectrum of prices, from everyday bottles at £5 to exclusive jewels costing more than £200. And all of them share the name, Rioja – quite unusual when compared with other appellations.
GOLDEN OLDIES
However, there is something that Rioja does have in common with other top classic wine regions: its best wines have the ability to improve with bottle ageing. The best demonstration of this ageability is simply to drink some very old wines, many of which can still be easily found. For more than 150 years, the region has been unaffected by wars (even during the Spanish Civil War, it was within Franco-dominated territory from the start).
