This blog is based on the Spirits of New Mexico radio show that aired on February 13, 2021. We do on-air tasting of one or two wines to illustrate what is available in a particular wine region, or as a contrast of what influence a wine region has on a grape or blend. We use suitable glasses for the type of wine and do a double-decant of red wines to insure they have opened sufficiently for accurate judging.
The last Rosé we sampled was a Tavel in the late summer last year, which was a more extracted wine typical of this Rhone Valley region. Our previous tours of the Rioja region were to taste Gran Reserva Rioja red wines, which are personal favorites of mine. This time we are sampling a Rosado from Rioja, which traditionally does a longer extracts of their Rosé wines similar to Tavel.
Rosé wine production continues to rise to meet the ongoing demand. Currently nearly one third of all wines sold are Rosé and that has not been the case in over a hundred years. Classically this is a summer wine, but while it is still winter in New Mexico there have been hints of warmer weather and our constant sun still warms the soul. Also with tomorrow being Valentine’s Day, this is a classic Rosé holiday.
Many of the lighter pink and crisper Rosé wines, such as classic Provence are more in demand, and winemakers in other countries and regions have taken note. The popularity of Provence-style Rosé is due in part to the fact Provence has increased its production 1000% in the last two decades.
However, while it’s the predominant style there are other Rosé wines that produce richer, darker-colored wines that extend food-pairing into typical red wine territory. Longer extraction of the skins pulls in more polyphenols and red wine accents for a deeper, richer Rosé. The color range for Rose wines goes from grey (really lightest pink) to dark red and everything in between.
While the amount of extraction, or skin-contact on a red wine isn’t always easy to perceive until we taste it, the amount of time on skins is ready apparent on a Rosé. Many sommeliers and wine merchants claim these darker Rosé wines are harder to sell as the demand for Provence-styled wines remains high.
The price range for these wines goes as low as $5 to a Chateau d’Esclans Cote de Provence Rosé with a price tag of $67. That is definitely an elitist entry and very atypical. The median price is under $15, with many very good entries under ten bills, depending on where one shops.
Perceptions of Rose wines have changed over time as a short trip through the history of Rose will illustrate.
History
In the past Rose was as common as red wines, which were also less extracted than is now the norm. The styles were also sweeter. So much so that some wine drinkers still think of Rose as sweet; au contraire! It all began with Mateus and Lancers Rose, which were definitely sweet. Production grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s and by the late 1980s, supplemented by a white version, these wines accounted for almost 40% of Portugal’s total export of table wine. All that has changed.
- Mateus is still made, and in the traditional flask; nostalgia being what it is, but now done in a drier, prickle style like Vinho Verdé.
- Professional wrestler André the Giant was said to drink six bottles of Mateus before a match. That would explain why his bear hug move resulted in his opponent passing out.
But that was then, this is now and it’s a very different, rosy world.
Rosé Wine Basics
Rosé wines are made by removing the skins quickly from red wine grapes, using one of four processes
- Saignée (sohn-yay) or bleeding method: Free run juice, around 10%, bled off for Rosé and permits two wines to be made; a Rose and a richer more intense red wine.
- Free-run juice comes from un-pressed grapes, using the weight of the grapes above to bleed the grapes below. Temperatures must be cool enough to avoid fermentation to begin.
- Blended back into the wine if not doing Saignée
- Sold as a free run juice wine, which has lower tannin, potassium
- Sold as Saignée Rose, which has intense, dark colors and uses the juice after 2 hours to 2 days of runoff before pressing and fermented the remainder separately
- Because the primary wine is red, grapes are harvested later than typical for Rose
- Maceration, similar to conventional red wine, but juice taken off skins after 3 – 24 hours
- The grapes are harvested earlier than for red wine to preserve acidity and red fruit flavors and brighter notes
- Vin Gris: Grey wine, lighter skin grape like Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio, color near grey
- Blending red and white wines to create Rose, typical of many Champagne Rose wines
Rose wines in Italy are often labeled Rosato, and Rosado in Portugal and Spain, although imports might label it Rose. Many New World wines are following Old World winemaking techniques. Rosé wines can be dry, off-dry or sweet, but drier has definitely become the trend since the millennium.
Spanish wine overview
Along with Sherry and Cava, La Rioja is probably the most recognized wine region in Spain and its principal grapes, Tempranillo and Garnacha the most popular.
There are over sixty defined wine regions and seven distinct climates within Spain, which is the third largest wine producer and the country with the most acreage devoted to wine.
The Spanish love aging their wines so many Rioja red wines are bottle-aged much longer than other wine regions. A few Gran Reservas are held up to 20 years. American oak is also very popular and seems to be a good compliment to the character of their wines.
La Rioja Wines
I first sampled Rioja wines while vacationing on the Costa del Sol. For $12 I had my choice of many Rioja Reserva wines and if I wanted to splurge, $15 for an excellent Gran Reserva. Those were indeed the days, and my love of Rioja wines was firmly cemented.
Map courtesy of Wine Folly
La Rioja is a D.O.Ca., or Qualified Designation of Origin, and the first to receive that classification. Rioja wine is made from grapes grown in the autonomous communities of La Rioja, Navarre, and the Basque province of Álava.
The Erbo River flows thru Rioja and feeds 7 tributaries that form seven valleys south and west of the Erbo. Each has unique soil, topology and climate that influence the style of wine made. The region is 70 miles to the Bay of Biscay and the port of Bilboa. It’s about the same distance to the French border.
- Rioja is further subdivided into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Oriental and Rioja Alavesa.
- Rioja Alta is at the highest elevation and known more for its “old world” style of wine. A higher elevation means a shorter growing season, so the wines have brighter fruit flavors and lighter on the palate.
- Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller body and higher acidity. Due to poorer soil conditions, vineyards have a low vine density with large spacing between rows to reduce competition for the soil’s nutrients. The only region fully above the Erbo.
- Rioja Oriental formally Baja is strongly influenced by a Mediterranean climate making it the warmest and driest of the Rioja. Temperatures in the summer typically reach 95 °F. Five of the seven valleys are in Oriental, each creating unique wines
Madeline Puckette has an excellent article covering the seven valleys of Rioja and the distinctive differences between them which is highly recommended. https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/the-seven-valleys-of-rioja/
The New Rules for Rioja
The aging requirements have not changed, but a new category has been introduced. The changes and additions are noted in bold.
- Crianza: 2 years aging; Red 1 year in oak, Rose/white 6 months
- Reserva: 3 years aging; Red 1 year in oak, 6 months in bottle Rose/white 2 years with 6 months in barrels, sparkling 2 years en tirage (on the lees) and Rioja designation, not Cava.
- Gran Reserva: 5 years aging, Red at least 2 in barrel and 2 in bottles, Rose/white 5 years aging at least 6 months in barrels.
- Gran Añada: 3 years en tirage, vintage wines are hand-harvested
There are also new rules for the Rioja wines in general:
- Rioja wines can now add the name of the village/municipality to the front label. There are 145 municipio names in Rioja. That would be fine for locals who would have more intimate knowledge of the villages, but impractical for us until each village establishes a reputation.
- The Wine Folly article mentioned above does provide insight into these municipalities.
- Rosé or Rosado wines can now be made in a lighter color. Rosado wines required a fair amount of extraction, which affect palate and color. The Provence style is much more popular.
- There is a new sparkling wine designation called Espumosos de Calidad de Rioja which basically uses the méthode champenoise, or traditional method.
- Winemakers may now offer single-varietal white wines under the Rioja Blanco label.
Rioja Red Grapes
The principal red grapes of Rioja are Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuela, Tempranillo is usually the primary grape, but Garnacha is sometimes a principal grape.
Tempranillo:
The principal red wine grape of Spain and Rioja. Flavors of cherry, plum, tomato, and dried fig and tertiary flavors of cedar, leather, tobacco, vanilla, dill, and clove. Aged in oak; typically aged 6-18 months in American or French Oak. Also known as Tinto del Toro and Tinta Fina, in Spain and Tinta Roriz and Aragonez in Portugal. Rose wines made with this grape are more intense in color.
Tertiary refers to bouquet, those aromas that come from processing, aging and oak influence.
Garnacha:
Flavors: Generally spicy, red berry-flavored (typically raspberry and strawberry) and soft on the palate producing wine with a relatively high alcohol content. Aged Grenache takes on leather and tarry notes; classic flavors of Spanish Priorat wines.
Mazuela (Carignan)
Outside of Catalonia, Mazuela is mostly a secondary blending variety used to add acidity to the Tempranillo-based wines of Rioja though a few producers, such as Marqués de Murrieta, do make varietal examples of the grape. The grape is popular in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France.
What we are tasting: CUNE 2019 Rosado Rioja ABV 14.5% $16
This Rosé wine from the Rioja area of Spain is a deeply-colored Tempranillo wine from CVNE, founded in 1879 and in the same family for five generations. The alcohol level is higher than the norm for a Rosé wine, but not atypical for Rioja. Nor is the more heavily extracted color, which adds body and balance for the higher alcohol.
Note that the new rules for Rioja Rosé permit less extraction and alcohol, but this is a more traditional style of Rosé. The purpose as stated on the label is to “achieve a Rosé full of summer fruit aromas and a complex finish. The labeling also includes a high-tech certificate of origin.
C.V.N.E. is situated in Rioja in the traditional neighborhood of the station, where the oldest wineries of Rioja Alta established themselves, for the main reason of transporting their goods to the port of Bilbao. In 1879, two brothers decided to set up a business in the recently flourishing wine trade. C.V.N.E., Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España (The Northern Spanish Wine Company) or la Cuné, as it is commonly known in Haro, was created. This cellar still reflects the origins of the company and is kept in the traditional neighborhood of the Haro station.
Station in this extract above refers to the town of Haro, the station where grapes were brought.
Wine Library: Strawberry red in color with rose pink glints. The nose is intense with aromas of ripe fruits such as strawberries, red currants and mulberries, hinting at candy. On the palate, the wine is fresh and shows fresh acidity and good length. Tempranillo classic aroma of licorice appears on the aftertaste.
James Suckling: “Darker color for rosé with strawberry, candied-watermelon, dried-lemon and pear aromas. Medium to full body with lots of fruit, creamy texture and a fruity and creamy finish. 91 points
Recent Comments