We are firmly in November now so it is time to start Rioja Month with a bang! This week's wine of the week will need no introduction for those of you who have been around for a while, but those newer on the scene, let us introduce to one of our long standing favourites...
Monte Real Reserva
Whilst there is real change in Rioja at the moment, sometimes it is good to revisit the classics. Rioja, historically, has been built on two things - the tempranillo grape and oak barrels. Together these have built Rioja into a very well respected wine producing region.
 
In the shop the end of the description for this wine reads 'a classic' and for good reason. Like a lot of other wine regions, Rioja has it's own classification system which came about in 1926. This is built around the time the bottle is aged, both in oak and in the bottle. Here is a brief overview:
Crianza - must be aged for one year in oak and one year in the bottle before release.
Reserva - must be aged for a total of three years before release, at least one must be in oak and the rest can be in bottle but it is up to the winery what the ratio is.
Gran Reserva - must be aged for five years in total, two of which must be in oak.
In comparison to some of the other classification systems, I do like Rioja's. It is, by wine classification system standards, pretty clear. It also helps us, as the drinkers, to have a good understanding of the style that the wine is likely to be. Crianza is a fruity, fresher drink, designed to be drunk when it is young whereas a Gran Reserva will have all the characteristics of a wine that is designed to be aged.
 
So with this week's wine we have a Reserva, right in the middle of the options. It has been aged for 24 months in American oak so the winemakers have chosen to age it longer in oak than required for a Reserva. The use of American oak is another nod to the classic Rioja approach. The two most common types of oak to be used in wine barrels in French and American and whilst you might think that oak is oak, just like where grapes grow is important, so to is where the trees grow. American oak is known for imparting bolder, sweeter flavours to the wine such as vanilla and/or caramel notes. The French counterparts are known for more soft and subtle flavours of baking spices and helps to create a rounder structure to the wine.
 
Rioja's preference for American oak goes back to the Spanish discovery of the new world and the significant drop in price that this brought about. In the 1970s there was a bit of a revival in the use of French oak but American oak is the most popular choice still. This is largely because of American oak's ability to integrate seamlessly with the Tempranillo.
 
So this week's wine has hung out in the American oak for two years which makes the wine beautifully smooth, with very subtle chocolate notes. These blend with fresh red fruits and slight spiced notes such as nutmeg and clove to make a full bodied wine with a long persistent finish. This wine will go very well with rich stews or a Lamb roast dinner or if you are planning a cheese board this weekend reach for the mature, hard cheeses.
 
This wine should be £14.00 but this week it will £12.50
 
Available to try today and tomorrow in our Saville Street Shop OR you can buy online and have it delivered straight to your door.