The final day of the tour took us to Rioja Oriental, which historically was called Rioja Baja because it was down river, but suffered from connotations from the word ‘lower’. Here the landscape is slightly flatter, but very beautiful, with vegetables and olive groves as well as vineyards, and of course mountains in the distance. It was thankfully a bright day, and we were very grateful for the forecasters changing their minds about the rain. We drove to Calahorra, about halfway into the Oriental.
At Bodegas Bagordi we were greeted by Luis Manuel Cárcar, who with his wife Cristina and daughters Cristina and Maider hosted our visit. Their family friend Pedro had kindly agreed to lead the tour, having better English, and we quickly established that this was a charming, hospitable bunch of people who wanted us to understand their winery and region. Our driver Marios had to negociate some hairpin bends on the way up to one of their vineyards, where Pedro explained that the family have made wine since 1723, Luis being the 14th generation.
They were one of the first Riojan wineries to become certified organic, in 1995, because they felt it represented the way their land had always been farmed. They also grow olives and vegetables, though wine is their main business. We were shown the hormone tags that induce ‘sexual confusion’ in insect pests, and they explained that three rows on the perimeter of each organic vineyard cannot be used for organic wine as they form a barrier with the neighbours who may spray their vines.
Back in the winery Pedro explained that all their grapes are hand harvested, and fermented using natural yeasts, and only maturing their wines in French oak. The winery was built in the 90s and while beautifully traditional in appearance, has modern touches such as light chimneys that bring natural light into working areas. Solar panels will soon be put on the roof.
We tasted five wines, that brought the innovation of the Rioja Oriental to life. Their Rosado Garnacha was salmon in colour with vibrant fruit and lovely acidity, only made with free run juice after a day’s maceration. The Bagordi Blanco was amazing, a blend of Garnacha Blanca and Sauvignon Blanc, matured for 3 months in French oak, it had a vibrant nose and beautiful herbaceous, citrus and tropical notes – I’d have thought it was a quality Bordeaux white if I’d tasted it blind.
We then went back in time, with an amazing lineup of 3 reds. Their 2008 Gran Reserva (a blend of Tempranillo and Graciano) was gorgeous – dark fruity, earthy and spicy, with super acidity and soft tannins. The 100% bush vine Garnacha was so deeply coloured with rich aromas and flavours it was hard to believe it was from 2001. And finally the 100% Garnacha Reserva from 1998 was pale, with pretty floral and red fruit character, lovely acidity and so moreish. Yet more contrasts of flavours and approaches, and the day was hardly over. We thanked the lovely family and got back into the coach, to head further east.
At Real Rubio we met another family. Mariluz Ruiz and Javier Rubio’s grandparents grew grapes around Monte Yerga, at high altitudes in the Rioja Oriental. In 2004 they set up their own winery and have 120ha of vines of which 38 are certified organic and 7 are in conversion. Their son Victor, now the winemaker, led our tasting in their barrel cellar.
Our first wine was the white GMT 125, named after the varieties (Garnacha Blanca, Maturana Blanca and Tempranillo Blanco) and the plots in which they are grown. Victor described how each variety is harvested and vinified separately, including their four months in French oak, and only blended when the character of each was revealed. This had certainly worked as the wine was lovely – we were drinking the 2022 vintage which will be released in July, and it opened up beautifully in the glass over the tasting.
Their rosé was a contrast with Bagordi’s – pale salmon but packed with fruit, and a creamy texture. Their 100% Maturana Crianza, a revelation – deep in colour, with dark fruit and graphite flavours, and a dense smoky palate – really complex and interesting, with loads of potential to evolve. 18 months in French oak and a further 2-3 years in bottle would suggest this wine could be classified Reserva, but it was an excellent example of the changes afoot in Rioja. Victor felt the wine was more representative of a Crianza in style, with its youth and power, and did not see value in the ‘higher’ classification.
Their 2018 Crianza, 2013 Reserva and 2010 Gran Reserva had increasing amounts of Graciano in combination with Tempranillo: 20%, 30% and 40% respectively. Victor described how the varieties are vinified separately but get the same amount of time in oak, though the Graciano is put into newer barrels. Graciano is clearly a variety that is coming to the fore in Rioja, and it added great black fruit and balsamic complexity to the three wines, the Gran Reserva was particulary vibrant and powerful, with beautifully smooth tannins.
With our lunch of Patatas Riojanas and roast lamb (cooked by Javier on the barbecue) we had the GMT 125, the rosé, and a 100% Grenache: their single vineyard Finca el Tordillo, made from 48 year old vines, and a total contrast to what had gone before – light in colour, fresh red spicy fruit and a beautiful mouthfeel, just right with our light meal. And the Mar & Luz Vino Dulce Natural, made from Moscatel de gran menudo (Muscat a Petit Grains) was so pretty and fresh, another new taste and style.
The care and attention Victor described in creating the wines we tasted – selection of grapes in the vineyard, selection of wines to go into the best barrels after fermentation, and selection of aged wines to go into the final blend, made us realise what complexity and talent lies behind these wines. It was a fitting final visit to the tour.