ES: Ebro River Valley Flashcards

1
Q

Rioja subzones + departments

A
  1. Rioja Alta: Castilla y Leon, La Rioja
  2. Rioja Oriental: Navarra
  3. Rioja Alavesa: Pais Vasco
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2
Q

Ebro River’s Rioja tributaries

A

Rioja Alta: Oja , Najerilla, Iregua
Rioja Alavesa: —
Rioja Oriental: Leza, Cidacos, Alhama

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3
Q

Name 5 Rioja Blanco grapes (9)

A

100% authorized grapes

  1. Viura
  2. Garnacha Blanca
  3. Malvasia
  4. Tempranillo Blanco
  5. Maturana Blanca
  6. Turruntes
  7. Chardonnay
  8. Sauvignon Blanc
  9. Verdejo
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4
Q

Rioja Rosado varietal requirements

A

Min. 25% authorized red grapes
(Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo, Graciano, Maturana Tinta)

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5
Q

Rioja Tinto authorized grapes (5)

A
  • Tempranillo
  • Garnacha
  • Mazuelo
  • Graciano
  • Maturana Tinta
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6
Q

Rioja soils

A

Short answer: a range of clay-limestone, clay-ferrous, and alluvial soils
* Alta: yellow calcareous + iron-rich clay south of Ebro
* Oriental: land east of Iregua River; some iron-rich clay but mostly alluvial silty soils
* Alavesa: high limestone/calcareous clay

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7
Q

Permitted vine training methods in Rioja

A
  • Cordon (single or double)
  • en vaso (bush vines)
  • vara y pulgar
  • double Guyot (all whites except Viura, Malvasía, and Garnacha Blanca)
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8
Q

Rules for Rioja Espumoso de Calidad

A
  • manual harvest
  • start to finish in same location
  • no additions, coloring, filtering during production
  • usual Transfer method rules
  • Gran Añada is/must state the single vintage

Varieties follow same rules as blanco/rosado still wines
15/24 for Reserva/36 for Gran Añada

** just remember that these can still produce cava

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9
Q

Rioja Espumoso de Calidad Gran Añada

A
  • min. 36 months on lees
  • vintage dated, 100% from said vintage
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10
Q

Rules for Rioja Single Vineyard category

A
  • vyd approved by reg board
  • winery has 10yr history w vyd
    - vyd <35 yrs old
    - 100% from that vyd
  • manual harvest
  • produced, aged, bottled at named winery
  • Consejo is hands on- you must declare, they reserve right to control the vyd from July 1 to ensure no manipulation
  • arrival/fruit weight entered into ‘Tarjeta de Viticultor’, submitted to the Consejo for review
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11
Q

Rioja Vinos de Municipio, Vinos de Zona - % rules

A

100% from zona or municipio
* 15% allowance for neighboring zona/muni if 10yr history working with vineyard

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12
Q

year that Rioja DOCa was established

A

1991

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13
Q

Rioja name for Cariñena

A

Mazuelo

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14
Q

Rioja mountain range that shields from Atlantic influence

A

Sierra Cantabria

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15
Q

Spanish synonyms for Trousseau

A

Maturana Tinta (Rioja)
Merenzao (Bierzo)
Tintilla (Tenerife)

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16
Q

Synonym for Viura

A

Macabeo

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17
Q

Rioja barrel size

A

225L
(RdB = max 330L for aging)

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18
Q

Aging terms for Rioja Blanco

A

Crianza: 18m, 6 in wood
Reserva: 2 yrs, 6 in wood
Gran Reserva: 4yrs, 6 in wood

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19
Q

Aging terms for Rioja Tinto

A

Crianza: 2yrs, 1 in wood
Reserva: 3yrs, 1 in wood + 6m bottle
Gran Reserva: 5yrs, 2 in wood + 1 in bottle

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20
Q

Aging terms for Rioja Sparkling

A

Regular: 15 months on lees
Reserva: 24 months on lees
Gran Añada: 36 months on lees

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21
Q

Rioja Cosecha

A

little to no barrel aging, style driven by freshness and primary fruit flavors

(unlike RdB where Cosecha means that the wine exceeds age designations)

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22
Q

1st Spanish region to achieve DO status

A

Rioja, 1925
(also first for DOCa - 1991)

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23
Q

Rioja climate

A

Continental + Atlantic, Mediterranean influences
* Alta: Atlantic-influenced
* Alavesa: cooler, more humid + Atlantic Influenced
* Baja: warmer, dry, Meditteranean

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24
Q

Rioja Alta

A

Atlantic-influenced; mostly south of Ebro River
* clay-limestone soils, iron content
* Logroño, Haro = major towns

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25
Q

Rioja Alavesa

A

Pais Vasco
* Cantabrian Mountains to the north, Ebro River to the south
* high elevations, cooler temps
* high limestone concentration

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26
Q

Rioja Oriental
- climate
- soils
- mountains
- river valleys (4)

A

Easternmost; Mediterranean influenced
* varied soils, but generally more clay, alluvial content
* Garnacha territory
* Yerga Mountains
* Alhama, Leza, Cidacos, Juberra Valleys/Tributaries

27
Q

Most planted red grapes in Rioja

A

1 Tempranillo

#2 Garnacha
#3 Graciano
#4 Mazuelo
#5 Maturana Tinta

28
Q

Most planted white grapes in Rioja

A

1 Viura

#2 Garnacha Blanca
#3 Malvasia
#4 Tempranillo Blanco
#5 Maturana Blanc
#6 Turruntes

29
Q

Rioja Viños de Zona

A

Indicates subzone - permitted since 1998, recently updated to improve visibility
* whole process must occur in zone - exception given to a 15% allowance for neighboring zone inclusion with 10yr history working with vineyard

30
Q

Lopez de Heredia Vineyards

A
  • Tondonia
  • Bosconia
  • Cubillas
  • Zaconia (used for Gravonia wines)
31
Q

2 major Rioja Alta towns

A

Logroño
Haro

32
Q

Rioja Oriental mountain range

A

Yerga Mountains

33
Q

Rioja Oriental major town

A

Alfaro

34
Q

Castillo Ygay

A

Marques de Murrieta
Tinto/Blanco Gran Reserva

35
Q

phylloxera in Rioja

A

1899
*remember that there was a good amount of time for Rioja to sub in for Bordeaux (1869) before going down itself

36
Q

traditional wire cages around Rioja bottles

A

Mallas
“fraud protection”

37
Q

Rioja Consejo Regulador

A
  • 1787: Real Junta de Cosecheros, or Royal Board of Winegrowers is formed to promote growing/qualty and trade alliances

*1925 - this is important to note as it was the first in Spain

38
Q

Txoko

A

A Basque term - a society that meets to enjoy wine and good food

39
Q

What winery holds the oldest bottling license in the Rioja appellation?

A

Bilbainas - dating to 1857

40
Q

CVNE

A

Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España
Haro, 1879
* Imperial: 1st vintage 1920. Imperial pint sized bottles = namesake
* Monopole = Spain’s oldest white wine brand; 1915. Sherry from Hidalgo-la Gitana
* 3 wineries: Vina Real (Alavesa), Contino (Alavesa), Imperial (Alta)

41
Q

Producer’s in Haro’s station quarters

A

Gomez Cruzado
Muga
CVNE
Lopez de Heredia (oldest, 1877)

42
Q

Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Gran Reserva vintages

A

2001, 2002
1991, 1994, 1995
1981, 1985, 1987
1970, 1976
1961, 1964
1954

43
Q

Vega Sicilia in Rioja

A

Macán (2009 was the 1st bottling)
Partnership with Benjamin de Rothschild

44
Q

La Rioja Alta, S.A.

A

Haro, 1890
* merged w Ardanza Company 1904, commemorated with 904 Gran Reserva
* most of production is reserva/gran reserva

45
Q

Muga

A

Haro, 1932
* Prado Enea (traditional; Gran Reserva)
* Torre Muga (new French barrique)
* Aro ($$$$; 100% Tempranillo)

46
Q

Remelluri

A

Rioja Alavesa; Labastida
Est 1967
* 1st property in Rioja to release 100% estate-bottled wines

47
Q

Marques de Riscal

A

Rioja Alavesa; Elciego
* est 1858
* 1st to plant Cab Sauv in Rioja
* Modern - very Bordeaux inspired
* Baron de Chirel Reserva- top bottling
* Rueda Verdejo/SB pioneer (w Emile Peynaud)

48
Q

Artadi
- location
- top wine

A

Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa
* left the DOCa in 2015 bc the label Rioja “had no value”
* focused on high elevation single site expressions
* flagship = Viña El Pison

49
Q

Rioja’s highest elevation vineyards?

A

Labastida in Rioja Alavesa

50
Q

Navarra DO - historic specialty, subzones

A

Specialty: deep-hued rosado. Garnacha, saignee only - no direct press
* 5 subzones: Ribera Alta, Ribera Baja, Valdizarbe, Tierra Estella, Baja Montaña

51
Q

Aragon DO’s

A

Catalyud DO
Cariñena DO
Campo do Borja DO
Somontano DO

52
Q

Best Rioja vintages 2000 - 2010?

A

2001: frosts but superior quality
2004
2005
2010

53
Q

Best Rioja vintages 2010 to now?

A

2010
2011: hot, heat-stressed = powerful wines
[2019, 2021= best recently]

54
Q

Highest yielding Rioja vintages

A

2018 = 2nd largest vintage ever but only “good” in quality. Inconsistent

2016 was very good and abundant

55
Q

Worst and/or challenging Rioja vintages?

A

2013 = worst of the worst
cold, wet, uneven
2014: grey rot
2017: frost, drought, earliest harvest ever (Aug 10). Inconsistent
2020: mildew vintage
2022: hottest vintage on record
2023: Aug heatwave, September rain + hail damage. Not good

56
Q

Catalyud DO

A

Aragon’s largest DO
* arid continental; vines planted 500M+
* Jalón River
* Garnacha (2/3), Tempranillo, Syrah. 92% red production, but white/sparkling/sweet styles also allowed
* Viñas Viejas = 35+
* Catalyud Superior = min. 85% Garnacha 50+ yrs

57
Q

Cariñena DO

A

Aragon; DO since 1932, established quality standards since 1696
* Garnacha #1, Tempranillo #2
* Huerva River

58
Q

Campo do Borja DO

A

Aragon
* Moncayo Massif
* Garnacha #1

59
Q

Somontano DO

A

“Under the Mountains”
Aragon; between Ebro River & Pyrenees
* the least “arid continental” of Aragon DOs
* 15 grapes auth. - mix of intl and Garnacha, Tempranillo

60
Q

Aragon: DO’s + major rivers & mountains

A

Huerva River (Cariñena DO)
Jalón River (Catalyud DO)
Ebro River, Pyrenees (Somontano DO)
Moncayo Massif (Campo do Borja DO)

61
Q

Hottest Rioja vintage on record?

A

2022

62
Q

Name 5 centenarian wineries in Rioja

A

Marques de Riscal (1858)
Bodegas Faustino
Lopez de Heredia (1877)
La Rioja Alta
Gomez Cruzado
Bilbainas (1857)
Marques de Murrieta
Marques de Riscal
CVNE

63
Q

What river divides Rioja Alta from Rioja Oriental

A

Iregua River