Vina Ijalba Graciano 2015
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Pair with red meat, oxtail, lamb chops, spiced tuna, blue cheese.
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Inky and extracted, this chewy red offers black fruit flavors of plum and blackberry, with bitter chocolate and loamy earth notes. Firm tannins and sweet-tart acidity impart an angular structure. Punchy. Drink now through 2025.
The estate was founded in 1975 by D. Dionisio Ruiz Ijalba, who planted the first vineyards close to Logroño, in the Rioja Alta. The actual Bodega was constructed north of Logroño in 1991. Viña Ijalba owns 70 Hectares (175 acres) of vineyards which are in a number of parcels surrounding Logroño, in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, and Valle del Najerilla. These vineyards supply 100 % of the production of the bodega. The grapes planted have been matched to the soil type and microclimate of each vineyard site.
Vineyards are planted on the sites of ancient quarries, which have poor rocky soils. Thus, the vines have to grow very deep to find water and nourishment. The pruning is the traditional "vaso" system , with a high density of vines (cepas) per hectare (3400 / hectare) . This, along with the lack of water, results in extremely low yields of grapes per hectare (less than 4.500 Kgs.).
The viticulture is essentially organic, since no herbicide or chemical fertilizer is used. At Viña Ijalba, the team's philosophy is to use the best of the old traditional Rioja grape varieties such as the Tempranillo, Mazuelo, and Garnacha. There are also plantings of rare, lost varieties such as Graciano and Rivadavia . Graciano produces extremely high quality wines. Viña Ijalba was first to bottle it as a pure varietal in 1995. It is very important as a component of the winery's crianza and reserva wines. For Tempranillo, Vina Ijalba has returned to traditional methods such as foot treading for maximum extraction of soft tannins and fruit intensity.
Graciano has been best known as a blending grape used in Rioja to add color, depth and perfume to Tempranillo. It also thrives in the nearby region of Navarra and a few dedicated winemakers in California and Australia are making singe varietal bottlings certainly worthy of checking out! Graciano’s black fruit and lush tannins make it a perfect pairing to grilled or smoked red meat, as well as game.
Highly regarded for distinctive and age-worthy red wines, Rioja is Spain’s most celebrated wine region. Made up of three different sub-regions of varying elevation: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental. Wines are typically a blend of fruit from all three, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta, at the highest elevation, is considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier Rioja Oriental produce wines with deep color and higher alcohol, which can add great body and richness to a blend.
Fresh and fruity Rioja wines labeled, Joven, (meaning young) see minimal aging before release, but more serious Rioja wines undergo multiple years in oak. Crianza and Reserva styles are aged for one year in oak, and Gran Reserva at least two, but in practice this maturation period is often quite a bit longer—up to about fifteen years.
Tempranillo provides the backbone of Rioja red wines, adding complex notes of red and black fruit, leather, toast and tobacco, while Garnacha supplies body. In smaller percentages, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan) often serve as “seasoning” with additional flavors and aromas. These same varieties are responsible for flavorful dry rosés.
White wines, typically balancing freshness with complexity, are made mostly from crisp, fresh Viura. Some whites are blends of Viura with aromatic Malvasia, and then barrel fermented and aged to make a more ample, richer style of white.