Reserva Rioja DOCa. - Bodega Marques de Riscal
After careful selection, only perfectly intact and ripe grapes reach the cellar, where, with the aid of the most advanced technical equipment, combined with the noblest and most ancient traditions, the primary objective is to maximize the unique characteristics of the local grape varieties.
Type: Red Wine
Appellation: Rioja DOCa.
Origin: Spain, Rioja
Grape varieties: Tempranillo - Graciano - Vernaccia
Alcohol Content: 14%
Format: 75cl
Allergens: Sulphites
Glass: Burgundy
Serving Temperature: 16°C
Tasting Notes: A beautiful, dark cherry red in color, very consistent. The aromas are of black berries, spicy notes, cedar wood, and cocoa. Broad and complex. On the palate, it is intense, velvety, full-bodied, with good acidity and ripe, flavorful tannins.
Pairings: Perfect with excellent game-based second courses but also excellent with roast meats.
The Winery: The history of Marqués de Riscal began in 1858 when its founder, Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga, applied Bordeaux winemaking techniques to Elciego. Jean Pineau, cellar master at Château Lanessan in the Haut-Médoc, advised the then 6th Marquis of Riscal to produce wines according to the French method, thus abandoning a "Riojan" winemaking style considered rough and unrefined, to found the first modern winery in Rioja. The winery began bottling its first wines in 1862, and by 1895 it had become the first non-French winery to receive the prestigious Diploma of Honor at the Bordeaux Wine Show. By the 1920s, when no other winery kept bottled wine, Marqués de Riscal was already stocking thousands of bottles of different vintages, and today it is the winery with the largest number of old vintages in the world. As part of his entrepreneurial project, in the 2000s Marqués de Riscal designed a more cutting-edge winery model, reshaping the entire area surrounding the old winery with the construction of the so-called "Ciudad del Vino": a new winery equipped with state-of-the-art technology and a recreational center located within a modern building designed by Frank Gehry, now the company's symbol, which houses a hotel and two restaurants. In Rioja Alavesa, the company produces wine from 1,500 hectares of vineyards in Elciego, Leza, Laguardia, and Villabuena de Álava, of which 500 hectares are owned and 985 controlled. Since 1972, the company has also produced wine in Rueda, where in the 1980s it spearheaded the creation of the Rueda designation of origin and where it owns 205 hectares and another 250 hectares leased. It also owns 200 hectares in the municipalities of Toro and San Román de Hornija, in the province of Zamora, from which it produces red wines from the Castile-León region. In 2011, Riscal was named one of the 10 most admired wine brands in the world by the prestigious magazine Drinks International, and in 2013, Wine Enthusiast magazine named it the Best Winery in Europe. Without a doubt, a great historical reference that continues to be at the forefront today.
