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Wine Description
The Story
Marqués de Riscal Reserva wines are basically made from grapes from tempranillo vines planted before de 70’s, grown in the best clay-limestone soils of the Rioja Alavesa. This variety withstands oak- and bottle ageing well thanks to its good balance of acidity and fine tannin. The Graciano and Mazuelo varieties, whose presence in the blend does not exceed 10%, provide crispness and a lively colour. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 26ºC and the maceration time is never more than 12 days.
Riscal reservas spend around two years in American Oak barrels, producing a wine which corresponds to the classic Rioja style: fresh, fine, elegant and very suitable for laying down for many years. Before release for sale it spends a minimum of one year rounding off in the bottle; time enough to show how much complexity tempranillo is able to achieve.
Wine Information
The campaign could not have had a better start thanks to the water provided in the form of rainfall during the first months and snow at the end of February. To April 315mm were recorded, above the average for the last few years. Budburst began late and proceeded slowly and intermittently due to low temperatures and the appearance of pests which put a brake on normal growth. After this cold spell (May), the vines evolved correctly. Flowering was abundant and irregular. Summer passed without anything of note until September, when more heavy rain fell (up to 100mm in some parts of our area) leading to delays in maturation and grape health problems. However, a series of hot, dry days stopped the appearance of rot and facilitated correct ripening, to produce a final harvest of great quality.