Product Information

Rioja Reserva 2006, Bodegas Luis Alegre

Jamie says: "Bodegas Luis Alegre makes Boutique Rioja from their state-of-the-art winery in Rioja.  The Luis Alegre Reserva is a modern style Rioja with lots of powerful, structured fruit flavours (damsons, plums, blackcurrant).  Lots of depth and purity of fruit with spice coming through.   The grapes come from vineyards with average age of 40 years.  90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, Mazuelo & Garnacha.  The wine spends 17 months in oak and then a further 19 months of ageing in bottle.  This wine is not filtered so you may find that it is a little hazy in the glass - don't worry, this is how it should be. "

Price: £14.75

Colour: Red Wine
Region: Rioja, Spain
Grape: Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo & Garnacha
Size: 75cl
ABV: 14%

Other info:  Unfiltered so it may be a little hazy in the glass.

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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.