Forget old notions of Rioja. Images of bullfights and sangria from decades past have nothing to do with Rioja today, as the region is undergoing an energizing, dramatic transition from a traditional wine production zone to a very contemporary one. Symbolizing this is the recently opened ‘City of Wine’ complex
at Marques de Riscal, designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. Just as the daring, curvilinear shapes of Gehry’s 21st Century building sit astride bottle cellars that date from the mid-19th Century, Rioja winemakers are engaged in a similar conversation between new and old. Rioja winemakers have been utilizing their terroir (terruñyo in Spanish) to improve their wines, which now rank with the great red wines of the world. In what follows, I’ll try to illustrate recent developments by recounting the endeavors of a select group of bodegas.
Bodegas RODA and Finca Allende: Rioja’s Avant Garde Reach New Heights:
Bodegas RODA (named by contracting the names of two of its founders) was a controversial property when it was established in 1987, but it has quickly moved into the top echelon for modern Spanish wines. The cutting-edge winery was completed in 2001, in the middle of Haro’s historic Barrio de la Estación, which is also home to the great 19th Century bodegas CVNE, La Rioja Alta, and R. López de Heredia. The RODA property is separated from R. López de Heredia by a common wall that physically connects one of Rioja’s newest bodegas to one of its oldest. This intimate proximity hints at the incredible diversity of today’s Rioja wines.
RODA’s Managing Director Agustín Santolaya and Rioja viticulture specialist Isidro Palacios devoted months to identifying the best vineyards in La Rioja Alta and Rioja Baja. They mapped 100 hectares of the best vineyard sites based on 
microclimate, soil type, orientation and climate pattern, and today RODA controls 170 hectares. Half of these are owned by RODA, and half are farmed under contract by six family growers. The vineyards comprise 28 different microclimates situated between 380 and 650 meters elevation and with calcareous, ferric clay, chalky limestone, and alluvial soils in La Rioja Alta and dry, sandy limestone soils in Rioja Baja. In each vintage, fruit from the best seventeen vineyards is chosen to make RODA wines; fourteen are located in Rioja Alta (planted to Tempranillo and Graciano), and three are in Rioja Baja (Tempranillo and Garnacha), with head-trained (‘en vaso’) vines that are 30 to 80 years old.
In 1998, Agustín started a biotype project to classify and preserve what is now the largest collection of Tempranillo clones in the world. Santolaya says, ‘The clonal selection will be a great help for the future. We are crafting new vineyards using the best 20 clones from the 553 we currently have. 
When our new vineyards reach 30 years of age we will use them for the best RODA ever.’ Sustainable viticulture is key at RODA. Santolaya says, ‘We are nearly organic and we use treatments on the vineyards reasonably, but only when necessary. You shouldn’t green harvest on a regular basis. What is more unnatural than cutting clusters? The key word is ‘balance.’ Growing balanced old vines on correct, poor soils with the best exposure is the way to success. We don’t want wines that are too extravagant; we love balanced wines that are a pleasure during a meal.’
From the RODA and RODA I Reservas to the ‘super cuvée’ Cirsion, RODA wines exhibit bold, spiced red berry aromas and sumptuous, black cherry fruit, with deep herbal, mineral flavors on the palate. There’s considerable structure from ripe fruit, acidity and tannins, yet the wines balance power and finesse.
At Finca Allende, Miguel Ángel de Gregorio has consistently shown he has the innovative passion and talent necessary to craft superior wines. In 1986, Miguel began purchasing 
numerous small vineyard plots with old vines in Briones, plots that he knew intimately from his grape buying while he was an accomplished winemaker at Bretón. Miguel left Breton in 1995 and he and his sister Mercedes founded their new 25-hectare estate. Finca Allende released its first wine, Allende DOCa, in 1995; the ‘super cuvée’ ‘Aurus’ in 1996; and the single-vineyard ‘Calvario’ in 1999. Since their introduction, these wines have consistently received accolades and are among the most highly regarded wines from Rioja.
At an altitude of 480 to 560 meters in elevation, Allende’s vineyards are located in La Rioja Alta, the largest of Rioja’s three subzones with about 25,000 hectares of vines. With a Continental climate moderated by Atlantic influences, the region is characterized by long, hot summers, and mild, cool autumns followed by cold winters. During the growing season, large temperature variations from day to night combine with the yearly climate patterns to form perfect conditions for the development of phenolically ripe grape skins: a critical element necessary to make fine wines.
The Ebro riverbed has a rich mixture of soils that is beneficial to grape vines, ranging from fertile, alluvial soils to ones based on limestone or clay. Many spots are rich with chalk and iron deposits or other important trace minerals, all of which greatly inform the aromatic and flavor structure of the vine’s grapes. Growers in La Rioja Alta have long coveted old vineyards near Briones. With soils of calcareous clay, gravel, and stones, and some so limestone-rich that they appear white, the area’s choicest sites produce rich, fleshy wines with a distinctive, rustic character. At 3,000 vines per hectare, Finca Allende’s vineyards are densely planted and are situated on different slopes near Briones. The north/northeast-facing slopes produce grapes that are higher in acidity and more aromatic, while the south/southwest slopes yield grapes with lower acidity and higher alcohol.
Miguel has a patient, methodical approach to viticulture and 
winemaking that is clearly Burgundian. He spent ten years studying his 92 separate vineyard parcels, identifying 14 different terroirs (some with pre-phylloxera vines), that produce fruit that is farmed, harvested and selected manually in a traditional manner. Old clones of Tempranillo have been planted that naturally produce lower, concentrated yields of small berries. No fertilizers are used. From a potential 7,000 kilos of grapes, Miguel’s pickers obtain 2,000, which after selection and sorting yields just 500 kilos. The three wines come from vineyards that are 35, 62 and 60-100 years old, and the yields for Calvario and Aurus are miniscule (1 kg per vine and 1.5 tons per acre, respectively).
With expressive notes of red and black cherries, savory herbs, spices, wild strawberries and vanilla, Miguel’s wines all combine bold fruit, beautifully delineated acidity, and ripe tannins. Calvario shows an earthy, mineral, black fruit and roasted coffee palate character, whereas Aurus has complex notes of, black fruit, minerals, anise and oak, with brooding structure marking it as one of Spain’s most serious wines.
CVNE’s Imperial, Contino and Viña Real: A Conversation Between Traditional and Modern Style Winemaking:
CVNE has been a consistently excellent Rioja producer for generations. CVNE (which is an acronym for Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) is comprised of three separate wineries, Contino, Imperial and Viña Real, each with a separate line of wines made by its own winemaker from grapes either estate-grown or sourced from contract growers in La Rioja Alta and/or Rioja Alavesa. José Madrazo Real de Asua retired in 1998, but his son Jesus now ably heads up operations.
Viñedos del Contino makes its Contino Reserva, Gran Reserva, Viña del Olivo and single-varietal Graciano wines from 100% estate-grown grapes from Rioja Alavesa. Jesus says that the Contino vineyards are situated in ‘an incredible 
microclimate,’ and the 62 hectares are almost completely encircled by the Ebro River. The bowl shape of the vineyard combines with sandstone, alluvial, clay and limestone soils to retain heat, encouraging ripeness levels. ‘Here at Contino we have a warm microclimate on the property, and we harvest early compared to the rest of Rioja. We have to watch ripeness levels during the harvest to make sure the potential alcohol doesn’t get too high. We want to make balanced wines with elegance.’
Jesus elaborates, ‘Regarding the subject of terroir, our Contino winery was designed for our vineyard. We have 62 hectares and 32 little tanks, either stainless steel, wooden, or concrete 
without fiberglass linings, which means that in each tank we can put 1.5 to 2 hectares of fruit, which allows me to separate the different parcels from Contino estate, and to separate the four different red grapes, Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. I never blend them before one year after harvest, and I can separate different quality levels within each parcel. In this way, I control the vinification of the three different terroirs from Contino.’
Imperial Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are made in a traditional style utilizing La Rioja Alta grapes. Considered Rioja classics since 1928, Imperial wines are only made in vintages deemed worthy. The Viña Real wines are modern in style, made from both estate- and contract-grown grapes from Rioja Alavesa vineyards. The Pagos de Viña Real debuted with the outstanding 2001 vintage, made using strictly selected fruit. It is an outstanding Rioja I the modern style, featuring expressive aromas and deep flavors of black fruit, wild cherry, spices, herbs and minerals, with serious structure and ripe, noble tannins.
Jesus notes, ‘I constantly try to think of new ways to improve quality and to take care of my raw materials because I have to produce much more than a million bottles per year without losing quality. The most important thing to keep terroir in the wines is not winemaking, it’s ‘vinemaking.’ This entails taking 
care of the land and the vines, maintaining low yields, using fertilizers, green harvesting and leaf pulling only when absolutely necessary, and harvesting on the best date. It’s a lot of little things; everything that happens to the fruit before it comes inside the winery.’ On single-vineyard wines, Jesus comments, ‘It is more difficult to try to produce a wine from a single parcel or vineyard than to buy and/or grow grapes from Rioja’s three subregions and blend them. You take less risk doing this than thinking about a few parcels in the same little village, but look at Burgundy or Barolo. We are also capable of making great wines from single spots; we have some true, fine terroirs and a few great winemakers…so why not?’
Jesus has demonstrated Rioja’s great potential when exceptional winemaking craft is combined with good terroirs. Of his modern style, single-vineyard wine, Viña del Olivo, Jesus considers the vintages of 1995, ’96, ’99, ’00, ’01, ’04 and 2005 ‘outstanding,’ and many wine writers have concurred. A top Burgundy or Barolo winemaker might be proud to claim such a track record over a similar span. Whether it’s a traditional, traditional/modern or a modern style wine from CVNE, there’s a nod to the elegant, classic Rioja wines from the past.
R. Lopez de Heredia-Viña Tondonia: A Living History of Rioja’s Finest Winemaking Traditions:
Located in Haro’s historic Barrio de la Estación, R. Lopez de Heredia-Viña Tondonia is Rioja’s most traditional bodega. 
Founded in 1877, this family winery still makes wines as it has for the past 130 years. Next to centenarian administrative buildings that look like they’re from America’s Old West is a striking, sleek tasting room designed by ultra-contemporary architect Zaha Hadid.
Chief Executive María José Lopez de Heredia, the fourth generation winemaker, explains, ‘We do selection massale (using cuttings from selected old vines to establish new vines) in our vineyards because, in this way, we can preserve the genetic heterogeneity of each grape variety. We make our own grafts in our nursery; we have always done this. In fact, all the clones in Rioja of Graciano come from Viña Tondonia, as do five clones of Tempranillo. Our vineyards are planted to Viura, Malvasía, Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. We use only indigenous yeasts because they leave spores inside the 
very old fermentation vats as well as in the wooden baskets (‘comportas’) made of poplar that we still use for harvesting. We use no enzymes and no acidification. We let malolactic fermentations finish naturally since, historically, nobody knew that malos existed yet they made wines nevertheless.’
The top Gran Reservas, Viña Tondonia and Viña Bosconia, are each single-vineyard wines with an ability to age for decades. With precise, pure, wild cherry fruit, sweet oak notes and well-defined acidity, these wines have alluringly complex secondary and tertiary aromas of tobacco, cigar box and herbs that can rival First Growth Bordeaux or Grand Cru Burgundy. When tasted mature, these unique and magic Riojas can be a revelation to those who taste them for the first time.
Bodegas Miguel Merino and Valenciso: Rioja Newcomers Whose Wines are Modern Interpretations of Traditional Rioja Classics:
After 25 years in the wine trade, Miguel Merino bought an old winery in Briones because he considers terroir central to his winemaking: ‘Since I started in 1976, I always liked Briones. I liked the Atlantic influenced climate, the valley protected by the mountains, the altitude, the cool summer evenings, the varied, 
poor soils, some chalky, some alluvial, some clay. I always felt that the Briones wine needed some time to be enjoyable. Wines from other towns would seem more open, fruitier, rounder and more floral. Wines from Briones would take longer to be approachable, but they would end up in ‘my style,’ richer, with more concentration, but still friendly and amicable…. I decided my cellar should be in Briones.’
Miguel owns nine hectares of vineyards, has long-term relationships with two growers, and recently started buying 
from two other growers. Collectively, the growers farm nine choice parcels within Briones of differing soils and microclimates, all close to the river on slopes. One of these growers is 82 and he has been working in the vineyards since he was a boy. Miguel utilizes grapes from vineyards 43-76 years old, and they are vinified separately based on the vineyard’s age.
Miguel’s Reserva and Gran Reserva wines exhibit distinctive notes of black cherry, wild strawberry, savory herbs and minerals, with vibrant acidity and ripe tannins. Miguel’s wines have repeatedly shone in blind tastings, outperforming the finest wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero.
After working fifteen years as executives at Bodegas Palacio, Luis Valentin and Carmen Enciso of Valenciso founded their own bodega. Their first vintage was 1998, and Andrés 
Proensa and Steve Tanzer noted the wine’s quality. With vineyards located in the town of Ollauri, a La Rioja Alta ‘sweet spot’ like Briones, the bodega owns vineyards and has long-term contracts with local growers. Viticulture is closely controlled, yields are kept low, and a strict selection further reduces the amount of grapes before crush.
Luis Valentin contrasts the style of traditional Riojas with modern ones: ‘Traditional wines are oaky, with pale color resulting from long stays in American oak, with wood dominating the fruit. By contrast, modern Rioja puts the fruit over the wood, with deep colors, mature fruit, extended macerations, several pump overs, and French oak that gives a more subtle touch to the wine.’ Valentin favors a style featuring depth, balance and harmony over brutish, extracted tannins. Valenciso makes a Reserva, an elegant wine with beautiful red and wild berry aromas, articulated acidity, suave tannins, and a plush mouthfeel.
Rioja’s most innovative winemakers have intensified efforts to express particular terrors in wines that seem to be more carefully crafted in each successive vintage. Similar to the American theatre scene that dramatically blossomed in the late 1960s and 1970s, when playwrights as diverse as Sam Shepard, Lanford Wilson, David Mamet, Edward Albee, John Guare and Lorraine Hansberry emerged with expressive voices, the winemaking scene in Rioja is witnessing a similar outpouring. Talented winemakers are making wines in many different styles, all of astounding quality. Jesus Madrazo noted, ‘It is the most exciting time I’ve ever seen in Rioja.’
Chris Fleming is Marketing Communications Manager at Frederick Wildman & Sons (an importer of fine wines), as well as a freelance wine writer. He has written for The Robb Report, Wines from Spain News, and Wines & Vines, and he has worked as a writer and consultant for major U.S. importers and retailers. Wildman does not import any of the wines discussed here. Fleming lives with his wife in Manhattan.
