16 Dine239
Wondrous Rioja
A handful of elite bodegas capture
the essence of Spain’s top wine region
Clockwise from top left: A winemaker
stomps grapes at Señorio
de San Vicente; Muga vineyards in
Haro; Marqués de Murrieta barrels.
ven though Rioja is the most recognized
and lauded Spanish wine region, it owes
much of its modern identity to outside
influences. Rioja winemakers first traveled to
Bordeaux in the 1780s, returning home to introduce
the process of oak aging. Several generations
later, Luciano Murrieta and the Duke
de la Victoria were searching for ways to modernize
the area’s wine industry. Murrieta also
made a pilgrimage to the Gironde, where he
learned the latest in French winemaking and
blending techniques.
When phylloxera, a microscopic louse, decimated
French vineyards in the 1860s and 1870s,
Rioja wine was suddenly in demand. Many Bordeaux
makers started wineries in Spain during
that period, bringing with them a lifetime of
knowledge and experience. Modern Rioja was
born. The majority of the blend was Tempranillo,
with smaller amounts of Garnacha, Graciano,
and Mazuelo aged patiently in oak barrels.
Over time, the reliance on barrel aging got out
of hand. It wasn’t unusual for top bodegas to age
their wine for 10 or more years; the 1941 Gran
Reserva from Marquès de Murrieta was released
in 1983, after 41 years in cask. This led to a style
of wine that was dried out and overly tannic.
E
BY MARK SPIVAK