Sacred Drop 
2006 Izadi Crianza, Rioja Alavesa
Posted on June 30, 2011
2006 Izadi Crianza, Villabuena de Alava, Rioja Alavesa, Spain
Welcome back! Lately, I’ve taken a break from some wine tasting because it’s been so utterly hot here that some Rioja Reds just are too much for these humid summer days. However, there are some modern Riojas that are wonderfully refreshing and easy to drink on just such days. One example is the 2006 Izadi Crianza from the Rioja Alavesa region of the Rioja Denomination.
As I may have mentioned before, Rioja is a denomination or appellation. Rioja is actually composed of three different regions- Rioja Alta (Haro area), Rioja Alavesa (LaGuardia area), and Rioja Baja (Alfaro area). All three denominations run along the Rio Ebro (EbroRiver). It’s amazing to think that one appellation can have three distinctive areas and produce such different wines, but in this case, it is due to the microclimates and terroir of each area. Terroir, a French term, refers to the special characteristics that the combination of climate, geology, and geography together give to a particular grape-growing area.
Today we are going to talk about Rioja Alavesa. Rioja Alavesa is located on the northern side of theEbroRiver. While it is situated within the boundaries of Basque country, it is still within the wine denomination of La Rioja.
The Izadi Bodegas/Winery is only about 25 years old. However, the vines from which they harvest their grapes can be from 25 to 100 years old. Izadi is part of Grupo Artevino (Wine Art Group) and includes wineries from Laguardia (Orben Winery), Ribera del Duero (Villacreces Winery), and Toro (Vetus Winery). I met with the director of Izadi, Sr. Anton and he said that there has been a lot of popularity with their Villacreces Winery in Ribera del Duero, where they are allowed to blend certain varietals more to the American and British consumer palates. Their 2008 Pruno de Finca Villacreces won an award for being the best wine inSpainfor less than 15 Euros, or US $20. It was also rated by the wine critic Robert Parker at 91/100! I guess I’ll have to go find this one and try it as well!
Izadi Bodegas makes five different types of wines: four reds, and one white. The reds are Crianza, Reserva, Selección, and Expresión. The white wine they make is called Izadi Blanco (white), and it is made from two varieties: Viura, a typical white grape from the region, and Malvasia.
The wine we are tasting today is the Crianza 2006 made from 100% tempranillo grapes. Alcoholic fermentation was done in stainless steel vats and later aged for 14 months in American oak barrels.
2006 Izadi Crianza
Bodega: Izadi of Grupo Artevino
D.O./Zone: DOCa Rioja, Rioja Alavesa- Villabuena de Alava
Country: Spain- España
Type of wine: Tinto con crianza- Red with aging in barrel
Alcohol (vol): 13.5%
Price: 8 Euros (Spain), USD $12-15 approx.
Varietals: Tempranillo 100%
Color: Ruby Purple
Nose: Licorice, vanilla, berries, tobacco and leather
Mouth: Licorice, prunes, tobacco, some red berry taste. Easy to drink, it’s a modern and medium-bodied well-balanced and elegant, with a long persistence on the tongue.
Elaboration: Aged 14 months in American oak barrel
Recommended with meat dishes and served at 16-18 degrees C (60.8-64.4 degrees F)
Enjoy! If you’d like to see more or would like me to taste a particular wine, please email me at sacreddropseeker@gmail.com or leave a comment below. Thanks for joining us today!
Darien Winery in Rioja Baja
Posted on June 22, 2011
“Best of Wine Tourism 2009 ” Award in architecture.
I had the opportunity to visit this beautifully modern Bodega/winery right outside of Logroño. Darien Winery is a medium-sized winery with three- to four-year-old vines surrounding the premises, but most of its harvest is done in the Rioja Baja region. There is also a restaurant with stunning views and a ceramic art collection, holding one of the most important European traditional ceramics collections, with art items dating from the 12th to the 20th centuries.
We tried the Darien Selection 2003 red wine, which is composed of the grape varieties: 68% Tempranillo and 32% Mazuelo (Carinena). It is aged in new French oak barrels, giving it a nicely balanced, slightly porty red wine. Robert Parker, a well-known wine critic, gave this wine 90 points out of 100. Priced at about 16 Euros, this is a bargain for a wine that ranks up there with some of the best French wines in the market.
Beginning of video courtesy of Bodegas Darien
How to taste red wine like a Pro
Posted on June 21, 2011
Ever wonder how to taste wine like a pro? Let me show you the four key steps you need to know in order to taste any wine. They are called the “four S’s.” To start you need about two ounces of wine, a wine glass, a white napkin, and your mouth.
The four S’s are the following:
See- Picking the glass up by the stem and not by the bowl avoids warming the wine. Hold the glass against a wine background or white napkin. When you tilt it and look at the rim, what color do you see at the outermost edge of the wine? If it is a purple or ruby color, this is an indicator that it is probably a young wine. If it is an amber color, this usually indicates that it is an older wine. Over time, the older a wine gets, the more it changes from purple tones to yellow-brownish tones.
Sniff –This is very important. You will now need to swirl the wine in order to speed up the evaporation of alcohol, which transports the aromas from the liquid into the air so that you can smell them. To do this you will need to swirl the wine in your wine glass on a table: hold the base and agitate it in a circular movement. Then raise the glass to your nose, and take a a few sharp breaths. What do you smell? Fruits? Wood? Try to identify them using a wine aroma wheel.
Sip- Now, finally, take a sip, but don’t swallow it. Swoosh it in your mouth, try to inhale some air by tilting your head down, and doing a reverse whistle. Be careful; this can get messy. I like to take my tongue and move it around my mouth, near the front of my teeth, to allow the wine to touch all tips of my tongue. If you do this, you will be able to tell the body of the wine. Does it feel like heavy cream or like skim milk? This is an indicator of the body of the wine. What do you taste? Can you place it? Swallow. How does your mouth feel now? Was it silky smooth or rough on your mouth? This is an indicator of the tannin in the wine. How long did the sensation last? The longer, the better. This is called the finish.
Summarize- This is where you decide whether you liked the wine or not. Was it smooth or rough? Did the taste linger in your mouth long after the sip? How was the body of the wine? Heavy or light? Did you like the flavors you tasted? And finally, would you take another sip? If the answer is yes, then, this wine is perfect for you!
The more wine you try, the more developed your palate will become. To help you identify the wine aromas and flavors, check out the Wine Aroma Wheel, as developed by Dr. Anne Noble of the Universityof California, Davis, available at http://winearomawheel.com/
The more you understand a wine, the more you’ll enjoy it! Cheers!
Adapted from YouTube, Video Courtesy of Wine Spectator School, at:
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