2016 Remelluri Rioja Reserva
Grape
Tempranillo with Garnacha, Graciano, and perhaps a little Viura and Malvasia
Its Origins
Remelluri was founded by monks in the 14th Century, although there is evidence dating even farther back of wine being made on these premises. The vines changed hands a number of times over the years before being purchased by Jaime Rodriguez in 1967. In 2010, Jaime’s son and daughter, Telmo and Amaia Rodríguez, took the reins of the estate and set about making a series of changes to showcase the potential and diversity of Remellur’s different terroirs, and ultimately reclaim Rioja’s viticultural history. The first major change was to cut down the production of Remelluri wines by one third, restricting it to wines produced from the estate’s own grapes. The two wines made from grapes grown in the surrounding villages are now sold under the label ‘Las Lindes de Remelluri’, and are identified each by their village of origin: Labastida and San Vicente de la Sonsierra. As a nod to Rioja’s historic viticultural traditions, they have begun moving the Garnacha from trellis to bush-grown vines and will be working increasingly with mixed field plantings. Although Remelluri has always eschewed chemical treatments in the vineyard, 2010 marked the year of the estate’s full organic certification. Work in the winery plays a secondary role in Telmo’s philosophy, but great care is taken to make sure that each bottle reflects the terruño of the region: wines are fermented with native yeasts, each plot is vinified separately, new oak is used very scarcely and the wines are very lightly filtered and fined.
What The Critics Say
94/100 Parker's Wine Advocate, Luis Gutierrez
"The estate red 2016 Reserva comes from a late growing season and was produced with local varieties like Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and others from their 86 hectares of vineyards at 590 to 805 meters in altitude on limestone, sandstone and marl soils. The grapes were picked late with good ripeness and health and fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel and open-top oak vats and then matured in oak containers of different sizes for 20 to 21 months. These are more classical wines, with a more evolved nose, with high ripeness and some balsamic and medicinal notes. It has a dusty palate with Nebbiolo-like tannins. 300,000 bottles and 8,200 magnums produced. It was bottled in May 2019." Drink 2022 - 2028
Winemakers Note 2016 vintage
Remelluri Reserva is the original wine from Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri, sourced from the most important vineyards consisting of 153 plots in 25 sites at the contiguous property. Situated high in the mountains between 590-805m. Only indigenous varieties are used, planted as far back as 1918 through today, averaging 40+ years old. The blend consists primarily of goblet-trained tempranillo, garnacha, and graciano varieties with an average yield of 29hl/ha. Only grapes from the estate are used for Remelluri Reserva, farmed organically with the utilization of regenerative and biodynamic farming principles. Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and old foudres. Aging: 21 months in foudres and barrels of various sizes, followed by five years in bottle. Remelluri Reserva is made with low intervention, and bottled unfiltered, with minimal sulfur added. 2016 was an outstanding Remelluri vintage, at the very top end of the scale, with many comparisons to stellar vintages like 2004 and 2010. 2016 Reserva is classically-styled, offering the best of everything: balance and freshness paired with beautiful phenolics and silky tannins, backed by moderate alcohol levels. 2016 Remelluri Reserva is built to age and improve for decades, certainly one of the very best vintages of the decade.
17+/20 Jancis Robinson, Richard Hemming (2013 vintage)
"Rioja must be one of the most evocative aromas there is. The combination of sweet oak and bramble fruit is instant and transportive – and this has it spot on. There's fortitude here too, with firmer tannins and fuller body than many of the classics (eg CVNE, Ardanza et al). In that way, it is the perfect blend of classic and modern, and it has incredible potential for an inexpensive wine – 20 years in bottle quite comfortably. When you get asked which one wine you could drink forever, this would be a strong contender."
| Variety | Tempranillo |
|---|---|
| Region | Rioja |
| Closure | Cork |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Maturity | 2022 - 2028 |
This Wine Goes Well With
Taste
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