Rioja day 2 @ #DWCC
The second day in Logrono (the first day of the #DWCC 2013) has been filled with exciting events and tastings.
The day debuted with one of the most (I dare say the most) exciting tasting I have ever attended: a lineup of classic Rioja vintages, the youngest being 2001, going back all the way to 1959:
#DWCC
Heredia. Vina Tondonia Rezerva 2001: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Manzuello.
Vina del Olivo 1996, Tempr + Graciano
CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva 1995 Tempr, Grac, Manz.
Baron de Chirel, Marques de Riscal 1995. Tempr + 40% others: Cab. 25 months in oak.
old Rioja
Roda 1 1994: Tempr + Garn. Ferm in new Fr oak, aged un old oak. Natural fermentation and stabilisation.
Beronia Gran Reserva 1982.
La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904, 1982, Tempr + Grac, Manz. 3 years ageing.
Carlos Serres, 1970. Tempr, Grac, Manz, Viura.
Marqes de Murietta, Castillo 1970, Tempr, Garn, Manz, Grac. Ferm in large casks, aged 312 months in old oak.
Surprise: 1959, Bodegas Franco Espanolas, Vina Soledad, Viura + Malvasia, vinified red-style, aged 2 years in old barrels, topped with older vintages, bottled in 1963.
No tasting notes are necessary for such a lineup; being able to taste them is a rare privilege.
Rioja grapes
Then I was off to the next workshop, focused on elements of flavour: grapes. The discussions focused on the amount of intervention that the winemaker should have over the grapes, and what is the proper ” taste” of the grape. We have tested three samples of Rioja native grapes, not blended:
Garnacha 2010, 100% Collectiones Vivanco, old vines, fermented in large casks, 18 month in barrels. Juicy, ripe, good structure
Madurana Tinta 2010, indigenous in Rioja, extinct in Bordeaux. Peppery, spicy, herbal, pungent, slightly bitter.
Graciano 2010, aged 18 months in old oak, ripe fruit, very high acidity, fresh.
Rioja wines
The permanent exhibition of Rioja producers kept me busy for the most part of the day. Just visiting each of the stands, discussing with the hosts and sampling wines can occupy many hours. Especially if you have top producers lined up: Beronia, CVNE, Marques de Murietta, Rioja Alta, Bodegas LAN, Concha yToro, and many others. I will dedicate a separate article just for the wines I have sampled.
Bodegas Rioja Vega
The keynote speech during the plenary session featured two speakers: Clark Smith, author of Postmodern Winemaking, raised some point regarding some new paradigms of winemaking and wine communications. Please find below some random notes and points taken during the conference.
Causes of ” bad marriage”: increased competition, tech revolution, paradigm shift in enology, social rev in wine ethics, failure of tech, wine writing becoming a blood sport
Winemaking is not „just cooking”
speech
Small wineries are confused -profit or passion? Too many tech choices -borrowing from chemical industry
Winemakers= wine manipulators? Controversial topics: yeast inoculation, micro oxygenation, alcohol adjustment, use of oak chips vs. French oak,
Honesty is too expensive? Misconceptions: the diversity paradox, blaming the tools, blaming the 100 points scoring system,
Natural wine stereotypes
How bloggers can change the world: tell what’s in the bottle, tell the real stories, choose your battles, use the universal language of flavours
role of wine bloggers
Arto Koskelo:
Wine missed the post modernity, still uses 19 century concepts and language. Being emotional borders being irrational = not worthy. Today’s wine communicators are informative but not entertaining. Soluon: bring wine to pop culture : emancipate from the no-flavour wine critic -sofisticated subjectivity. Bloggers= source of flavour in wine communication, facts are no lonfer as valuable as they used to be.
cava bottle
Many interesting points were raised during the two speeches, food for thought. After a refreshing glass (or two) of Jane Ventura cava, we gathered in the buses, leaving to have dinner in the middle of the vineyards.
barrels warehouse
Bodegas LAN were or hosts for the evening, providing a most exquisite gourmet dinner, along a breathtaking visit through the winery and the gigantic warehouse of barrels.
Bodegas LAN
Vinul din Cluj 