Bordeaux Blend

A Bordeaux Blend is a blended red wine that contains only those varieties that are authorized for use in the red wines of the Bordeaux region of France.  Bordeaux is the most famous and highly coveted wine blend in the world. Like many wines with a long history, there’s a lot to learn, so we’re here to just cover the basics.

• Red Bordeaux blend is primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, with smaller portions of Malbec and Petit Verdot.
• White Bordeaux blend is primarily made of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a splash of Muscadelle in the mix

While there are both red and white Bordeauxs, the name Bordeaux is primarily associated with the red wine blend. Red Bordeaux is a red wine that is always made from blending Cabernet Sauvignon wine and Merlot wine together, though the proportion of each depends on the location of the winery that made the wine.

• Left bank blends : tend to be higher in tannins, alcohol and acidity. They are powerful, rich wines that are said to age a bit better than wines from the Right Bank.
• Right bank blends : tend to be softer, less tannic and lower in alcohol and acidity. Because Merlot is the dominant grape, they are much more juicy and usually ready to be drunk much earlier than Left Bank Bordeauxs, and they’re often less expensive.

St-Emilion

St-Emilion is a region of smallholdings.  The co-operative is of great importance and vinifies over 20% of entire crop to a consistently pretty high standard.  Merlot is the dominant grape in the clay-rich soils with significant plantings of Cabernet Franc on limestone lending support.

The grapes of St-Emilion are the plump Merlot and the Cabernet Franc.  Cabernet Sauvignon can have problems ripening in this climate less tempered by the ocean especially in its damper cooler soils

When to drink – Straightforward St-Emilion is enjoyable from the word go and even ambitious wines are bursting with fruity richness from around four years of age.  Don’t plan to keep too many bottles beyond their tenth birthday although the best wines from the limestone slopes around the town of St-Emilion itself have more structure and longevity.

Best Vintages of St-Emilion : 2016, 2015, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1990, 1989, 1985, 1964, 1961, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1950, 1949, 1947 and 1945.

The post Dourthe N°1 Saint Emilion 2019 appeared first on WineYou.

Bordeaux Blend

A Bordeaux Blend is a blended red wine that contains only those varieties that are authorized for use in the red wines of the Bordeaux region of France.  Bordeaux is the most famous and highly coveted wine blend in the world. Like many wines with a long history, there’s a lot to learn, so we’re here to just cover the basics.

• Red Bordeaux blend is primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, with smaller portions of Malbec and Petit Verdot.
• White Bordeaux blend is primarily made of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a splash of Muscadelle in the mix

While there are both red and white Bordeauxs, the name Bordeaux is primarily associated with the red wine blend. Red Bordeaux is a red wine that is always made from blending Cabernet Sauvignon wine and Merlot wine together, though the proportion of each depends on the location of the winery that made the wine.

• Left bank blends : tend to be higher in tannins, alcohol and acidity. They are powerful, rich wines that are said to age a bit better than wines from the Right Bank.
• Right bank blends : tend to be softer, less tannic and lower in alcohol and acidity. Because Merlot is the dominant grape, they are much more juicy and usually ready to be drunk much earlier than Left Bank Bordeauxs, and they’re often less expensive.

Owned by the Sichel family since1961, Chateau Angludet is is an extraordinary property situated at the heart of the Margaux appellation, surrounded by forests and Cru Classé vineyards. The estate would almost certainly have been included in the famous 1855 Classification, had it not been broken up as part of an inheritance settlement. In an act of faith (given the property’s state of decay) and belief in Angludet’s potential, the Sichel family bought the estate and since then, have worked tirelessly to restore and, indeed, improve the vineyard and cellars, giving Angludet back the reputation its exceptional terroir deserves.

Chateau Angludet is also the family home to the Sichel clan, a family which has been in the wine business since 1883 and at present includes the five Sichel brothers and two of their sons. For those familiar with the Bordeaux wine industry, the family Sichel is also well-known for its broad range of house brands, negociant wines and, of course, ownership of Chateau Palmer, one of the other extraordinary Grand Cru Classé properties of the Margaux appellation. Benjamin Sichel is responsible for winemaking at Angludet & runs the vineyards along biodynamic principles.

Maison Sichel also owns Chateau Argadens, perched atop one of the highest hills in the Bordeaux appellation, about 60 km south of the capital. Originally called La Salle d’Argadens , the estate dates back to the 12th century. Maison Sichel acquired the property in 2002 with the aim to become one of the benchmark properties in the Bordeaux Supérieur category, taking advantage of its fabulous soils & orientation. The cellars have been completely renovated and Argadens is a thoroughly modern Bordeaux with lots of concentrated fruit and an attractive, supple balance.

The post Chateau Genlaire 2020 appeared first on WineYou.

Grape Variety

Bordeaux Blend

A Bordeaux Blend is a blended red wine that contains only those varieties that are authorized for use in the red wines of the Bordeaux region of France.  Bordeaux is the most famous and highly coveted wine blend in the world. Like many wines with a long history, there’s a lot to learn, so we’re here to just cover the basics.

• Red Bordeaux blend is primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, with smaller portions of Malbec and Petit Verdot.
• White Bordeaux blend is primarily made of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a splash of Muscadelle in the mix

While there are both red and white Bordeauxs, the name Bordeaux is primarily associated with the red wine blend. Red Bordeaux is a red wine that is always made from blending Cabernet Sauvignon wine and Merlot wine together, though the proportion of each depends on the location of the winery that made the wine.

• Left bank blends : tend to be higher in tannins, alcohol and acidity. They are powerful, rich wines that are said to age a bit better than wines from the Right Bank.
• Right bank blends : tend to be softer, less tannic and lower in alcohol and acidity. Because Merlot is the dominant grape, they are much more juicy and usually ready to be drunk much earlier than Left Bank Bordeauxs, and they’re often less expensive.

Pauillac Wine

The deep gravel banks around the town of Pauillac are the heartland of Cabernet Sauvignon, making these both the most revered and the longest lived of Bordeaux’s great wines.  For many wine lover, King Cab’s greatest wines are the three Pauillac First Growths (Lafite, Latour and Mouton-Rothschild).

When to drink

These wines definitely need cellaring to allow the powerful and forbidding tannins of youth to mellow and the perfume to emerge.  A few examples bloom with friendly fruit from an early age, while others retain the froideur of an assiduous school prefect throughout their long lives.  Eight to ten years will be enough to bring most wines to a peak and the should drink well for another decade thereafter, perhaps two decades for the best wines.

Best Vintages of Pomerol :  2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1996, 1995, 1990

The hallmark flavours of a classic Pauillac are an intense blackcurrant fruit flavour allied to a heady cedarwood and pencil-shaving perfume.  Simple to describe yet compelling and infinitely satisfying in the glass.  A few properties produce a broader, plummier style but austerity is the watchword for the majority.

• Ch. d’Armailhac
• Ch. Batailley
• Ch. La Fleur Peyrabon
• Ch. Fonbadet
• Ch. Grand Puy Ducasse
• Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste
• Ch. Haut Bages Averous (second wine of Lynch Bages)
• Ch. Haut Batailley
• Ch. Lacoste Borie (second wine of Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste)
• Ch. Lynch Moussas
• Ch. Pibran

The post Chateau Haut Batailley 2017 appeared first on WineYou.

Grape Variety

Bordeaux Blend

A Bordeaux Blend is a blended red wine that contains only those varieties that are authorized for use in the red wines of the Bordeaux region of France.  Bordeaux is the most famous and highly coveted wine blend in the world. Like many wines with a long history, there’s a lot to learn, so we’re here to just cover the basics.

• Red Bordeaux blend is primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, with smaller portions of Malbec and Petit Verdot.
• White Bordeaux blend is primarily made of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a splash of Muscadelle in the mix

While there are both red and white Bordeauxs, the name Bordeaux is primarily associated with the red wine blend. Red Bordeaux is a red wine that is always made from blending Cabernet Sauvignon wine and Merlot wine together, though the proportion of each depends on the location of the winery that made the wine.

• Left bank blends : tend to be higher in tannins, alcohol and acidity. They are powerful, rich wines that are said to age a bit better than wines from the Right Bank.
• Right bank blends : tend to be softer, less tannic and lower in alcohol and acidity. Because Merlot is the dominant grape, they are much more juicy and usually ready to be drunk much earlier than Left Bank Bordeauxs, and they’re often less expensive.

Margaux Wine

Margaux’s fame relies on its light and divinely perfumed wines.  But consistency has never been Margaux’s strong point, as the vineyards sprawl more widely than those of the other Haut-Medoc communes and over more diverse soils.  The best wines hail from the gravel banks that weave through the appellation.  The southernmost vineyards produce a rounder but still perfumed style.

Margaux and Cantenac, the village just south of it are considered to make the Medoc’s most polished and fragrant wine.  Their historical record says so; and contemporary reality is slowly catching up.  There are more second and third growths here than anywhere and a new broom has been sweeping through the southern Medoc.

Good Margaux beckons with seductive fragrance enriching the Medoc’s trademark blackcurrant and cedarwood perfume with violets and rose petals, roasted nuts and vanilla, plums and hedgerow berries,  The body is certainly lighter and more supple than in wines from the communes to the north, yet by no means wanting for intensity or substance.

The post Chateau d’Issan 2018 appeared first on WineYou.

Grape Variety

Bordeaux Blend

A Bordeaux Blend is a blended red wine that contains only those varieties that are authorized for use in the red wines of the Bordeaux region of France.  Bordeaux is the most famous and highly coveted wine blend in the world. Like many wines with a long history, there’s a lot to learn, so we’re here to just cover the basics.

• Red Bordeaux blend is primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, with smaller portions of Malbec and Petit Verdot.
• White Bordeaux blend is primarily made of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a splash of Muscadelle in the mix

While there are both red and white Bordeauxs, the name Bordeaux is primarily associated with the red wine blend. Red Bordeaux is a red wine that is always made from blending Cabernet Sauvignon wine and Merlot wine together, though the proportion of each depends on the location of the winery that made the wine.

• Left bank blends : tend to be higher in tannins, alcohol and acidity. They are powerful, rich wines that are said to age a bit better than wines from the Right Bank.
• Right bank blends : tend to be softer, less tannic and lower in alcohol and acidity. Because Merlot is the dominant grape, they are much more juicy and usually ready to be drunk much earlier than Left Bank Bordeauxs, and they’re often less expensive.

St-Emilion

St-Emilion is a region of smallholdings.  The co-operative is of great importance and vinifies over 20% of entire crop to a consistently pretty high standard.  Merlot is the dominant grape in the clay-rich soils with significant plantings of Cabernet Franc on limestone lending support.

The grapes of St-Emilion are the plump Merlot and the Cabernet Franc.  Cabernet Sauvignon can have problems ripening in this climate less tempered by the ocean especially in its damper cooler soils

When to drink – Straightforward St-Emilion is enjoyable from the word go and even ambitious wines are bursting with fruity richness from around four years of age.  Don’t plan to keep too many bottles beyond their tenth birthday although the best wines from the limestone slopes around the town of St-Emilion itself have more structure and longevity.

Best Vintages of St-Emilion : 2016, 2015, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1990, 1989, 1985, 1964, 1961, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1950, 1949, 1947 and 1945.

What a contrast with the stern demanding wines of the Medoc ! A glass of St-Emilion melts with gorgeous softness a buttery toffeeish sweetness and a fruit flavor sticky with dark chewy richness of raisins and cherries in a fruit cake.

• Ch. Balestard La Tonnelle
• Ch. Barde Haut
• Ch. Beau Sejour Becot
• Ch. Bellefont Belcier
• Ch. Bellevue
• Ch. Bernateau
• Ch. Corbin
• Ch. Destieux
• Ch. Faugeres
• Ch. Grand Mayne
• Ch. Grand-Pontet
• Ch. Tauzinal L’Hermitage
• Ch. Teyssier

The post Chateau La Dame de Bouard Montagne 2016 appeared first on WineYou.

Grape Variety

Bordeaux Blend

A Bordeaux Blend is a blended red wine that contains only those varieties that are authorized for use in the red wines of the Bordeaux region of France.  Bordeaux is the most famous and highly coveted wine blend in the world. Like many wines with a long history, there’s a lot to learn, so we’re here to just cover the basics.

• Red Bordeaux blend is primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, with smaller portions of Malbec and Petit Verdot.
• White Bordeaux blend is primarily made of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a splash of Muscadelle in the mix

While there are both red and white Bordeauxs, the name Bordeaux is primarily associated with the red wine blend. Red Bordeaux is a red wine that is always made from blending Cabernet Sauvignon wine and Merlot wine together, though the proportion of each depends on the location of the winery that made the wine.

• Left bank blends : tend to be higher in tannins, alcohol and acidity. They are powerful, rich wines that are said to age a bit better than wines from the Right Bank.
• Right bank blends : tend to be softer, less tannic and lower in alcohol and acidity. Because Merlot is the dominant grape, they are much more juicy and usually ready to be drunk much earlier than Left Bank Bordeauxs, and they’re often less expensive.

Margaux Wine

Margaux’s fame relies on its light and divinely perfumed wines.  But consistency has never been Margaux’s strong point, as the vineyards sprawl more widely than those of the other Haut-Medoc communes and over more diverse soils.  The best wines hail from the gravel banks that weave through the appellation.  The southernmost vineyards produce a rounder but still perfumed style.

Margaux and Cantenac, the village just south of it are considered to make the Medoc’s most polished and fragrant wine.  Their historical record says so; and contemporary reality is slowly catching up.  There are more second and third growths here than anywhere and a new broom has been sweeping through the southern Medoc.

Good Margaux beckons with seductive fragrance enriching the Medoc’s trademark blackcurrant and cedarwood perfume with violets and rose petals, roasted nuts and vanilla, plums and hedgerow berries,  The body is certainly lighter and more supple than in wines from the communes to the north, yet by no means wanting for intensity or substance.

The post Chateau Lascombes 2014 appeared first on WineYou.

Grape Variety

Bordeaux Blend

A Bordeaux Blend is a blended red wine that contains only those varieties that are authorized for use in the red wines of the Bordeaux region of France.  Bordeaux is the most famous and highly coveted wine blend in the world. Like many wines with a long history, there’s a lot to learn, so we’re here to just cover the basics.

• Red Bordeaux blend is primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, with smaller portions of Malbec and Petit Verdot.
• White Bordeaux blend is primarily made of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a splash of Muscadelle in the mix

While there are both red and white Bordeauxs, the name Bordeaux is primarily associated with the red wine blend. Red Bordeaux is a red wine that is always made from blending Cabernet Sauvignon wine and Merlot wine together, though the proportion of each depends on the location of the winery that made the wine.

• Left bank blends : tend to be higher in tannins, alcohol and acidity. They are powerful, rich wines that are said to age a bit better than wines from the Right Bank.
• Right bank blends : tend to be softer, less tannic and lower in alcohol and acidity. Because Merlot is the dominant grape, they are much more juicy and usually ready to be drunk much earlier than Left Bank Bordeauxs, and they’re often less expensive.

The post Le Petit Ronan by Clinet 2014 appeared first on WineYou.

Owned by the Sichel family since1961, Chateau Angludet is is an extraordinary property situated at the heart of the Margaux appellation, surrounded by forests and Cru Classé vineyards. The estate would almost certainly have been included in the famous 1855 Classification, had it not been broken up as part of an inheritance settlement. In an act of faith (given the property’s state of decay) and belief in Angludet’s potential, the Sichel family bought the estate and since then, have worked tirelessly to restore and, indeed, improve the vineyard and cellars, giving Angludet back the reputation its exceptional terroir deserves.

Chateau Angludet is also the family home to the Sichel clan, a family which has been in the wine business since 1883 and at present includes the five Sichel brothers and two of their sons. For those familiar with the Bordeaux wine industry, the family Sichel is also well-known for its broad range of house brands, negociant wines and, of course, ownership of Chateau Palmer, one of the other extraordinary Grand Cru Classé properties of the Margaux appellation. Benjamin Sichel is responsible for winemaking at Angludet & runs the vineyards along biodynamic principles.

Maison Sichel also owns Chateau Argadens, perched atop one of the highest hills in the Bordeaux appellation, about 60 km south of the capital. Originally called La Salle d’Argadens , the estate dates back to the 12th century. Maison Sichel acquired the property in 2002 with the aim to become one of the benchmark properties in the Bordeaux Supérieur category, taking advantage of its fabulous soils & orientation. The cellars have been completely renovated and Argadens is a thoroughly modern Bordeaux with lots of concentrated fruit and an attractive, supple balance.

Grape Variety

Bordeaux Blend

A Bordeaux Blend is a blended red wine that contains only those varieties that are authorized for use in the red wines of the Bordeaux region of France.  Bordeaux is the most famous and highly coveted wine blend in the world. Like many wines with a long history, there’s a lot to learn, so we’re here to just cover the basics.

• Red Bordeaux blend is primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, with smaller portions of Malbec and Petit Verdot.
• White Bordeaux blend is primarily made of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a splash of Muscadelle in the mix

While there are both red and white Bordeauxs, the name Bordeaux is primarily associated with the red wine blend. Red Bordeaux is a red wine that is always made from blending Cabernet Sauvignon wine and Merlot wine together, though the proportion of each depends on the location of the winery that made the wine.

• Left bank blends : tend to be higher in tannins, alcohol and acidity. They are powerful, rich wines that are said to age a bit better than wines from the Right Bank.
• Right bank blends : tend to be softer, less tannic and lower in alcohol and acidity. Because Merlot is the dominant grape, they are much more juicy and usually ready to be drunk much earlier than Left Bank Bordeauxs, and they’re often less expensive.

The post Chateau La Graula 2019 appeared first on WineYou.

Owned by the Sichel family since1961, Chateau Angludet is is an extraordinary property situated at the heart of the Margaux appellation, surrounded by forests and Cru Classé vineyards. The estate would almost certainly have been included in the famous 1855 Classification, had it not been broken up as part of an inheritance settlement. In an act of faith (given the property’s state of decay) and belief in Angludet’s potential, the Sichel family bought the estate and since then, have worked tirelessly to restore and, indeed, improve the vineyard and cellars, giving Angludet back the reputation its exceptional terroir deserves.

Chateau Angludet is also the family home to the Sichel clan, a family which has been in the wine business since 1883 and at present includes the five Sichel brothers and two of their sons. For those familiar with the Bordeaux wine industry, the family Sichel is also well-known for its broad range of house brands, negociant wines and, of course, ownership of Chateau Palmer, one of the other extraordinary Grand Cru Classé properties of the Margaux appellation. Benjamin Sichel is responsible for winemaking at Angludet & runs the vineyards along biodynamic principles.

Maison Sichel also owns Chateau Argadens, perched atop one of the highest hills in the Bordeaux appellation, about 60 km south of the capital. Originally called La Salle d’Argadens , the estate dates back to the 12th century. Maison Sichel acquired the property in 2002 with the aim to become one of the benchmark properties in the Bordeaux Supérieur category, taking advantage of its fabulous soils & orientation. The cellars have been completely renovated and Argadens is a thoroughly modern Bordeaux with lots of concentrated fruit and an attractive, supple balance.

Grape Variety

Bordeaux Blend

A Bordeaux Blend is a blended red wine that contains only those varieties that are authorized for use in the red wines of the Bordeaux region of France.  Bordeaux is the most famous and highly coveted wine blend in the world. Like many wines with a long history, there’s a lot to learn, so we’re here to just cover the basics.

• Red Bordeaux blend is primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, with smaller portions of Malbec and Petit Verdot.
• White Bordeaux blend is primarily made of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a splash of Muscadelle in the mix

While there are both red and white Bordeauxs, the name Bordeaux is primarily associated with the red wine blend. Red Bordeaux is a red wine that is always made from blending Cabernet Sauvignon wine and Merlot wine together, though the proportion of each depends on the location of the winery that made the wine.

• Left bank blends : tend to be higher in tannins, alcohol and acidity. They are powerful, rich wines that are said to age a bit better than wines from the Right Bank.

Right bank blends : tend to be softer, less tannic and lower in alcohol and acidity. Because Merlot is the dominant grape, they are much more juicy and usually ready to be drunk much earlier than Left Bank Bordeauxs, and they’re often less expensive.

The post Chateau Laborde 2020 appeared first on WineYou.

Grape Variety

Rioja Red Blend Wine

Rioja Red Blend is a term used to describe the combination of red-wine varieties that are possible under the governing laws of the Rioja DOCa in Spain.

Tempranillo forms the base of the blend for the majority of the wines in this category, with Garnacha (Grenache), Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano making up the balance. At least one producer (Marques de Riscal) has special dispensation to include Cabernet Sauvignon in its wines, although this practice is uncommon.

As the name suggests, this style is overwhelmingly found in Rioja, and just a handful of notable examples exist in Priorat (west of Barcelona) and Valdepenas (south of Madrid). In Rioja, the wine’s foundation, Tempranillo, is grown primarily in the sub-regions of Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. Tempranillo offers a range of flavors from lighter red fruit such as strawberries and cherries, through to richer and riper flavors such as prunes, chocolate and stewed fruit.

Grown extensively in Rioja Baja – Rioja Oriental, Garnacha adds body and additional raspberry flavors, often with a spicy accent. Mazuelo is generally regarded as a lesser grape in the blend, and like the Carignans of the Rhone is typically relied upon to add color alone. A notoriously difficult grape to cultivate, Graciano is highly valued and brings perfume and structure to wine, even in small doses.

Red Rioja Blends carry various designations to indicate how long they have been aged. There is a certain degree of flexibility within the aging categories, but they do serve as a reliable indication of how the wine is likely to taste.

Each category stipulates the minimum period the wine must spend in oak, combined with an overall aging period that may be barrel, or bottle, maturation. For example, the popular Crianza category requires at least 12 months in oak with a minimum overall aging period of two years. In this example, the final 12 months could be spent in either bottle or barrel, or a combination of the two.

The first two aging categories, Joven and Roble, are fresh wines best consumed in their youth. Joven (“young”) wines are unoaked, or spend a minimal amount of time in oak, while Roble (“oak”) wines have been aged in oak, but for less than 12 months. Crianza and Reserva wines are more structured and must spend a minimum of 12 months in oak, and have an overall age of two and three years respectively.

The final category, Gran Reserva, encompasses the elder statesmen of Rioja wines. They spend at least two years in oak and five years aging overall, which makes them very costly commercial endeavors. These wines can be of immense depth and concentration, requiring many years in the cellar before reaching their peak drinking window.

New American oak barrels were the standard in Rioja for the greater part of the 20th Century. More recent trends have seen an increase in the use of French oak, and there are some producers who favor a combination of the two.

The Red Rioja Blend is occasionally found in California and South Australia, though it is much more common to find the simpler Garnacha – Tempranillo blends outside Spain. The Rioja Blend can also be used in the production of rosé.

Marques de Murrieta

Marques de Murrieta is named after Luciano de Murrieta, one of the founding fathers of modern Rioja winemaking, who established the estate in 1852 in the world-renowned Rioja region of Spain. Today V. Dalmau Cebrian-Sagarriga, Count of Creixell, leads the family-owned company. With a vision of innovation and respect for tradition, Marques de Murrieta is rooted in strong, historical fundamentals that shape the vision and philosophy of this iconic Spanish brand. The winery is near the southern tip of the Rioja Alta in the middle of the beautiful Ygay Estate, a unique 300-hectare vineyard that guarantees complete control over the grape source and is the key to the quality and style of Marques de Murrieta wines.

Hailed as the star red variety in Spain’s most celebrated wine region, Tempranillo from Rioja, or simply labeled, “Rioja,” produces elegant wines with complex notes of red and black fruit, crushed rock, leather, toast and tobacco, whose best examples are fully capable of decades of improvement in the cellar.

Rioja wines are typically a blend of fruit from its three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta and Alavesa, at the highest elevations, are considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier, Rioja Oriental, produce wines with deep color, great body and richness.

The post Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2011 appeared first on WineYou.