Day 3 (Part 1): Rioja Revisited

Our third day finds us leaving Zaragoza one final time and travelling north to the famous wine region of Rioja.  This is my second trip in as many years to this picturesque denominacion and a flood of fond memories return as I see the names of familiar places appear on the road signs along AP-68 (AP stands for Autopista).   

Our first stop is a morning visit to the charming Bodegas Ilurce located in the Rioja Baja within the town of Alfaro.  Owned and operated by the Escaduro family since 1940, this small yet completely modern winery produces a very tasty Rioja Rosado made from 100% Grenache and an equally delicious, indigo hued Rioja Tinto made entirely from the obscure Graciano grape.  Once snubbed by grape growers in the region because of its penchant for being a late ripener, Graciano, a flavorful, complex and deeply colored variety, is enjoying a welcomed resurgence in Rioja these days. 

Later that morning, we continue onwards into the heart of the Rioja Alta to keep an appointment with renowned winemaker Marcos Eguren at Bodegas Sierra Cantabria in the village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra.  Senor Eguren’s, and his brothers are behind some of Spain’s most iconic wines in both Rioja (Sierra Cantabria, San Vicente, Vinedos de Paganos) and the denominacion of Toro (Numanthia, Teslo la Monja) in western Spain.  His soft-spoken, almost professorial demeanor belies the talent and conviction that has brought him to the viticultural forefront.  He believes passionately that great wines are made in the vineyard.  We spent an afternoon with him, his brother Miguel and his son Eduardo touring through the vineyards at Vinedos de Paganos in Rioja Alavesa.

Tasting through Marcos’ exceptional Rioja portfolio, including single vineyard titans El Puntido and La Nieta it’s hard to argue – these wines are singular expressions of their terroirs.   The highlight of our afternoon was a leisurely lunch at San Vicente highlighted by a magnum of 1970 pulled from the cellar by Marcos himself and shared with us.  It was a special treat.  Drinking old vintages of Rioja like this one is like drinking time in a bottle.  The 1970 vintage in Rioja is widely regarded as a benchmark year for the region and the wine was still amazingly fresh. 

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida