DOCa Rioja D.O.Ca. wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

Denominacion de Origen Calificada

The Rioja D.O.Ca. appellation stretches along the Ebro river valley in northern Spain, across 144 municipalities shared between La Rioja, the Basque Country and Navarre. The vineyards, planted between 300 and 900 metres above sea level, are divided into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental. The climate sits at the crossroads of Atlantic influence in the west and Mediterranean influence in the east, bringing warm summers and cool winters tempered by the Ebro and its tributaries. Soils vary by zone: clay-calcareous and iron-rich clay in Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, more alluvial and fertile ground in Rioja Oriental. Fourteen grape varieties are authorised: five red, led by tempranillo alongside garnacha tinta, graciano, mazuelo and maturana tinta; and nine white, including viura, garnacha blanca and malvasía. Rioja was the first Spanish region to be granted Denominación de Origen Calificada, the country's highest wine classification.

Grape varieties: Vins rouges : tempranillo, grenache noir, mazuelo, graciano. Vin blancs : viura, grenache blanc

The wines of this appellation

Rioja D.O.Ca. produces mainly red wines, alongside whites and rosés. The reds, dominated by tempranillo, show a ruby robe whose depth varies with age and ageing method. The nose recalls red and black fruit, cherry and plum, layered with vanilla, wood and spice notes when the wine has spent time in oak barrels. On the palate they are full, with tannins ranging from soft to firm and a marked freshness. Drunk young, they are fruity and easy-going; with age, they develop notes of leather, tobacco and undergrowth, and the longest-aged styles show a real ageing potential. The whites, made largely from viura, are fresh and floral, sometimes rounder when aged in barrel. The rosés are lively and fruity, best enjoyed young. These wines pair with red and grilled meats, lamb and game for the fuller-bodied reds, and with fish and seafood for the whites and rosés.