The wine has the same cellaring potential, but in contrast to the classic toasted and spicy notes found in earlier crianza wines, here the essence of Tempranillo shines through in all its beauty. This exemplary varietal represents a region that is looking to interpret wine and tradition in a new way. No small task when you're the leading DOC in Spain.

La Rioja

We aren't revealing anything new by saying that the relationship between wine and La Rioja is almost atavistic. For this reason, we won't go into the history of the region or how its wines evolved over time. Besides being widely known, the website of the DO's regulatory council provides an excellent overview.

Instead, we'll focus on contemporary La Rioja, a region tackling a new era and new challenges without losing sight of its immense tradition, informed, as always, by all its strength and know-how.

Logroño, on the banks of the Ebro River, is the capital and provides a reference point for dividing the region into its three subregions:

Rioja Alavesa:

The region runs from the Cantabrian mountain range down to the Ebro River. Here vineyards grow at a maximum elevation of 800 meters. The soils are very calcareous, made up of clay and limestone, and are very well suited to growing Tempranillo. The wines from this region are perhaps the lightest and most elegant Riojas.

Rioja Alta:

The region lies between the towns of Haro and Logroño. The vineyards lie south of the Ebro and grow at 500 to 800 meters above sea level. The soils are largely calcareous clay, although one also finds reddish soils with a high iron content. The importance of Rioja Alta to the area's role as a wine region is huge (it represents 42% of all the vineyards in La Rioja). It produces wines of exceptional quality backed by long tradition and great prestige.

Rioja Baja:

Located east of the capital, the region has a more continental climate (hot summers and colder winters). The soil is predominantly made up of clay. Rioja Baja is Garnacha Tinta territory, although Graciano is also gaining ground as a grape used in Tempranillo blends. The aging potential of these wines tends to be lower than that of their Rioja Alavesa or Rioja Alta counterparts.

Tempranillo

Other Red Varieties

Graciano:

• Not widely planted, this low-yielding, late-ripening variety is mainly used in Tempranillo blends to add perfume and structure.

• Wines that include this variety have a beautiful deep red color, wonderful acidity and display powerful aromatic intensity with vegetative, floral and red fruit hints.

Garnacha Tinta:

• This is the predominant variety in Rioja Baja. It adds body and aroma to Tempranillo blends, but its organoleptic qualities vary widely depending on climatic and vineyard conditions.

• In warm regions, it expresses its most recognizable characteristics, whereas in cooler areas, the wines are usually balanced and fresh with higher acidity. These are ideal for making rosé wines in the style of Navarra rosados.

Mazuelo:

• Much like Graciano, this variety mainly plays a supporting role in blends. It has a lot of tannin, high acidity, but very little aromatic intensity, which complements Tempranillo perfectly in wines that are meant to undergo prolonged aging.

White Varieties

Although the Regulatory Council recognizes eight white varieties, the most widely planted in La Rioja is Viura, also known as Macabeo. The international varieties Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, along with the fresh Verdejo, were approved in 2007, making them the most recent additions to the list.

Viura

This highly productive variety stands out for its remarkable acidity and floral aromas. It is used to make fresh, young wines, as well as well-aged traditional whites. Many winemakers also use it in red blends, adding small quantities to achieve the unique personality of the region's wines.

Bodegas Torres in the Heart of Rioja Alavesa

In 2005, the Torres family decided to establish their winery in the municipality of Labastida, in the very heart of Rioja Alavesa and within the DOC Rioja appellation. The family was keenly aware of La Rioja's strength as a winegrowing region and the possibilities it offers in terms of producing high-quality wines with unique personality and great aging potential.

Altos Ibéricos Crianza

A culinary love affair

In a tweet, we could describe Altos Ibéricos Crianza as “a contemporary red with soft tannins and lots of fruit. Versatile to the nth degree, it exemplifies a new kind of Rioja.”

New gastronomic trends and circumstances demand new wines that go hand in hand with a new culinary reality.

This idea took shape after conversations with restaurant industry professionals and eventually gave birth to Altos Ibéricos Crianza. This is a wine for people who seek something different, but still want a Spanish wine. And it is a wine that builds closer ties to a new, modern and creative kind of gastronomy. An authentic and unpretentious way to enjoy tapa.

The silky tannins of Altos Ibéricos Crianza combine particularly well with tapas made from fresh ingredients like red meat, oil-rich fish, cheese and all kinds of cured meat and sausages.