Friday Sips

Stop by today to sample the range of Rioja wines listed below from a top-notch producer who is all about quality on all levels.

A few weeks back I had the opportunity to taste through a range of Rioja wines with Bodegas las Orcas owner/winemaker Raimundo Abando. Over the years, I heard about the quality of this estate but never had the chance to see for myself, safe to say, I was mighty impressed, especially with the Solar de Randez line.

Las Orcas, based in close proximity to the Sierra Cantabria range in Rioja Alavesa where its distinction is the cool climate and Atlantic breezes that prevail in this portion of the Rioja region. The entry-level version is 100% Tempranillo and is as clearly focused of a version from Alavesa as one could ever imagine. A wine meant for everyday consumption displaying fresh and floral aromas with surprising breadth of dimension. Spiced earth and strawberry aspects sneak into the picture following through to being flavorful and silky in the mouth with an excellent burst of spice and red fruit allowing it to come together and finish with harmony and refinement. Drink it with pork or while watching your favorite TV programs.

Moving two steps forward, we decided to skip one and jump right to the Bodega’s excellent Reserva range and what a way to do so, 2010 Rioja, like the rest of Europe are mighty wines. The specs for this wines and big differences from the entry wine are vine age (40-50 years) and oak aging (24 months in French oak). Also 100% Tempranillo, this wine is absolutely exquisite to drink now, it will easily age much longer as evidenced by the following wine.

Sexy, pleasurable aromas of toasted cinnamon, roasted herbs, red licorice, flowers and raspberries. The French oak utilized on this wine emits some alluring and well-integrated vanilla and nutmeg tones to play nicely with the fruit and terroir. In the mouth this Rioja is layered, vinous and caressing all while being broad and expansive. Gains more strawberry aspects around the edges; harmonious, harmonious and more harmonious with fine-grained structure all which rolls into velvety, full and long finish with subtle notations of cocoa. This can be had with a plethora of meat dishes, but it will also age. Drink it now through 2022.

To open this wine, is to take a walk back in time. Originally done in the old cellars and in a traditional manner with elevation occurring in 10 year old American oak barrels for three years, it is a real pleasure to have a throwback wine that unlike Nike design team’s screwed-up 49ers new uniforms, is a real joy to partake in, especially because it is absolutely singing at age 18!

This wine is the epitome of the old school. Uncompromising, aromatic, profound and dynamically complex. Laden with chocolate-covered cherry aromas, dried floral notes, spice, aromas of integrated oak, sage and much, much more as it sits in the glass! One sip and you've realized that you taste Spanish royalty here. Lavish, velvety, ripe, complex, and mouth-crawling juice that seduces and wows. Long and drawn-out at the end - and one last superlative - it will still keep for another 7-10 years as well! If you want to experience what old wine and old Rioja are all about, treat yourself to this, or at least taste it. We have one bottle to sample so if you want to see it, come on the earlier side today.

White Rioja is a small category that is a moving target. Viura is the main grape for the whites of the region yet styles can vary from producer to producer. With all due respect to the ancient, slightly oxidative traditional style, Raimondo prefers his wines to be solely tank-aged in order to preserve freshness and to go well with a diverse number of cuisines.

The big secret behind this wine is the 70-year-old vines and the cool location of the vineyard. Lemon, pear, blossom and mineral scents open the show. On the palate, there is crisp electricity, medium body and a velvety mouthfeel. Lemon and apple flavors together with some background rocky character predominate in the long finish. As far as food pairings, fish and shellfish would be fine but there is enough substance here to go with roasted chicken.