Rioja Reserva MAGNUM

Grapes

Tempranillo (95%), Garnacha (5%)

Country & Region

Spain, Rioja Alavesa 
The Rioja region is made up of three sub-regions - Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alto and Rioja Baja. Rioja Alavesa (along wth RIoja Alta) is considered to produced the best wines of the area. This is due to two reasons - its vineyards are at higher altitudes and its soils are rich in clay and limestone. The wines tend to have the good body, pure fruit and high acidity. 

Vintage

2011

Producer Info

Bodegas Luis Cañas has been at the heart of Rioja since 1928 though the contemporary story begins in 1970 when Luis Canas became the first Rioja Alavesa winemaker to bottle his young wine rather than sell it in bulk. Their philosophy is that good wine can only come from good grapes. They utilise their knowledge of the local climate, terroir, cultivation methods and a real sense of pride and dedication to create these unique wines. Every harvest Luis Cañas, now in his eighties, heads up the grape selection process, only allowing the best through. This attention to quality along with state of the art winemaking equipment allows Luis Canas to produce what are widely regarded as world class wines.  

Wine Story

The wine used to produce this Rioja Reserva comes from vines of over 40 years old. The older the vines, the less grapes will be produced and those grapes will be all the more concentrated. The producer carefully selected exactly which grapes will be used for this Reserva and then goes on to taste and decide on the oak treatment required. In this case the wine is aged in 70% French & 30% American oak barrels for eighteen months.  French oak tends to impart a subtler flavour to wine and American oak gives sweet vanilla and coconut overtones. The wine is then bottled and aged at the winery for a further 18 months as per the regulations for Riojan wine.  

You'll do well to decant this before drinking too.  This allows the air to reach the wine and allow it to develop and really come to life - quite simply it will taste better! 

Size matters!  Bear in mind this wine is a magnum - the equivalent of two standard 750ml bottles. As such it will age for longer than a standard bottle.

Food Match Ideas

Fancy something meaty? This is a great wine for a steak. In those winter months try it with a casserole too. If you want a truly authentic match, the producer suggests trying Riojan cuisine such as peppers stuffed with cod or artichokes with ham.  And of course, its great with cheese.