Book Review: The Finest Wines of Rioja (and Northern Spain)
A Regional Guide to the Best Producers and their Wines
by Jesus Barquin, Luis Gutierrez, Victor de la Serna
photos by Jon Wyand
This is one of the best wine books on a region I have ever read. It’s not a particularly new book having been published in 2011, so some of the material may feel dated, but in general I think its timely enough for enthusiasts to read it. I hope the authors consider a second edition as surely there are some new producers and vintage updates (2010 in particular) that deserve some attention. This was one of the rare wine books I purchased new ($26 or so on Amazon Prime); normally I just wait a few years and pick them used for cheap. (Sadly that gambit backfired on Neil Martin’s Pomerol tome, and is not looking good for Jane Anson’s new effort)
The first thing I should note is that the photos, maps, coloration, paper quality are all excellent despite it being a semi soft backed book. However the sizing at (5x7 ish & 300 pages) is better for reading in a chair than the typical reference sized books (Wine Atlas’s etc. which really are best on a table). The inner flap has a rather extensive vintage chart, but the authors note that over long periods of times, some years which might have not gotten great acclaim on release have - due to higher acid structures - aged better than initially lauded years. They discuss certain 60’s vintages versus the triumphant 1970 year in this dimension. I had never known that, and rarely get to experience those rarities. Older Rioja in my area of CA is not seen much, while older CA cabs and BDX are readily found.
The first section of the book covers the history, culture and markets of the Rioja region. It’s interesting to see how many practices established long ago, still affect production today, even if the initial reasons may no longer be relevant. There is good discussion of the generally dominant structure of the bodega making the wines, and the independent growers farming the grapes. Then they cover the geography and climate of the region, explaining all the differences between the three regions (Alta, Alavesa, Baja) and how those affect the wine. (Interestingly, I find that I like wines from all the zones, when I’d assumed that Rioja Alta would be my overriding preference). After that section they cover the grapes, although tempranillo is dominant at most houses, there seems to be increasing adoption of other local varietals - graciano, mazuelo, grenache/garnacha etc, at least in blends. One great aspect of tempranillo is flexibility with when it can be consumed: on release, or after some time laying down, or decades later with complexity taking the place of grapiness. The final parts of the first section cover viticulture aspects (heavily influenced by the Bordelais) and the new struggle between traditionalists and modernists. The authors are much less virulent/opinionated in that latter debate than internet/chatboard Manicheans. It’s refreshing that people who are so involved, and so close to this (de la Serna owns Finca Sandoval for example) are not absolutists and present each estate fairly (IMO) in their book.
The next section - the bulk of the book - covers the estates. In general, the most famous and longest lived estates get the most attention with particular callouts for great bottlings or years to look for. For many estates there are pictures of owners/winemakers/vineyards etc. Of course, the pages are not allocated equally - houses like CVNE get many pages covering their massive lineup while newer small production efforts might get a single paragraph. And the authors note that they were forced to exclude many worthy efforts. Hopefully when a 2nd edition is put out they will be able to expand on those. I love the pictures, but maybe those can be dialed back a touch, to get more bodegas depicted. Rioja gets 150 pages on the major houses, but other nearby important regions (Navarra, Bierzo, Rias Baixas, Galicia, Cantabrian coast etc.) get highlights noted too. Many of these names are very unfamiliar to me, but there seemed to be a theme that anything where the Palacios was involved would get a nod. I like their Ardadi wines - at least the lower level ones I’ve cellared - but don’t care as much for the Montesa, Vendimia, and such bottlings at their other Baja estate.
The final section covers vintage characteristics, and best efforts, all the way up to 2010. The very old vintages may only be for academic purposes, since I don’t think the average American has much access to 75 year old Rioja, but its interesting how lively the wines are reported to be. The authors made a point that they only discussed wines they had drunk in the 2005 - 2010 time frame for the very old ones, so its not like someone is saying “Oh I remember this great 1970 I had” when it’s a recollection from 1985 or so. These really make me lust for the 1970 Marques de Caceres Reserva, a breakout year for the estate and legendary Prof. Emile Peynaud, sort of like the Kerry Wood of Riojanes. Next they cover important restaurants in the region, again not so germane to outsiders, and unfortunately likely to go stale simply by business life & death cycles, but they do share a few spots which are known for their deep stocks of old bottles, sometimes only available on special lists or by asking the cellar master. The authors accept the rage that will come from regional enthusiasts, like how locals to Berns must feel about outsiders coming to that Tampa chophouse to raid ‘their cellar’.
This is a magnificent book, perfect for reading over a leisurely week at night, or on a transcon – hopefully with a goblet of gran reserva in your hand. I hope fans of the region, or just general Old World enthusiasts, take a look. As much as I love the wines of the Gironde, this region is really growing on me.