Product Information

Montesc Rioja 2008

Jamie says: "Montesc is a great introduction to Rioja, it has lots of concentrated fruit flavours with a hint of coffee in the background.  It is silky smooth on the palate like a crianza but with lots more juicy fruit.  Montesc is only lightly filtered and is a blend of 75% Crianza Rioja (minimum 12 months ageing in new French and American oak barrels, six months in bottle) and 25% younger Rioja (aged for 4 months in new French and US oak barrels).  The vineyards which provide the fruit for Montes are from San Vicente de la Sonsierra in the Rioja Alta (a part of Rioja very close to my vinous heart!) at relatively high altitudes for Rioja, around 500-600 metres. The climate is continental but with cooling Atlantic influence allows grapes to ripen slowly maintain good acidity. Soils are generally pebbles on chalk rich clay."
Price: £8.35

Colour: Red
Region: Rioja, Spain
Grape: Tempranillo
Size: 75cl
ABV: 13.5%

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Further Information:  Rioja is arguably Spain’s leading wine region and certainly it’s most famous.  It is named after the river Oja (Rio Oja).  Rioja is divided into 3 zones – Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja.

Rioja Alta – in the Ebro Valley west of the town of Logrono.  The capital of Rioja Alta is Haro and is a great place to visit with lots of Spain’s most famous wineries packed into a small space.  Rioja Alavesa is a zone north of the river Ebro which falls in the Basque province of Alava.  Rioja Baja extends eastwards from Logrono.

Most Rioja wines are blends and Tempranillo is by far the most important grape and is usually the main wine in any blend.  Other important red grapes in Rioja are Garnacha (Grenache), Graciano, Mazuelo (Carignan) and now Cabernet Sauvignon also.  For white wines the most important grapes are Viura (Macabeo) and Malvasia.

Red Rioja wines are classified into four categories, Joven - no or little cask ageing; Crianza - a minimum of 2 years ageing with at least 12 months in cask; Reserva – a minimum of 3 years ageing with at least 12 months in cask and Gran Reserva – a minimum of 2 years in cask plus 3 years in bottle.

Some of Rioja’s most famous wineries include CUNE (CVNE), La Rioja Alta & Allende.