Bodegas Marques de Tomares "Crianza" Rioja, Spain 2020

FROM LA LUZ SELECTIONS:

THE WINE: 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano. Multiple small lots of 50- to 75-year-old vines from Rioja Alavesa and Alta are used to craft the Crianza. The calcareous clay soils have moderate yields while goblet trained old vines limit the production of this offering. Micro lots of Graciano are sourced for tannin structure. Hand-picked fruit is destemmed and allowed to go through native fermentation with twice daily pump-overs favored over punch-downs to retain freshness. Post-fermentation, the wine is aged in a mixture of French, American Oak for 12 months before bottling without fining or filtration. The wine is then aged in bottle for a minimum of 14 months before release.

Vintage 2020 was a challenging vintage in Rioja. With unseasonably warm temperatures and rainfall during spring overall, mildew plagued the vintage of 2020. Many wineries, like MdT, declassified their fruit to produce high-quality, entry level wines like this Crianza. The 2020 Marqués de Tomares Crianza sings Rioja with its saddle nose and dark cherry and licorice aromas. Consistently, this vintage overdelivers with classic charm and old-world depth while hugging ripe fruit and purple flowers. Enough funk and rustic structure to satisfy traditionalists while the juicy ripeness and medium body help balance the velvety texture. Always tobacco. No doubt, this is Rioja.

THE PRODUCER: The insanely valued, storied wines from Marqués de Tomares are the perfect expressions of traditional Rioja that is still fresh, fruit forward and beautifully balanced. There is an elegance, a seamless stitch that runs through these vintage classics. Some of the wines have a density and a dark, floral brood… others the leather and spicy wool speak of the blend not often found in Rioja at this price range. With a family grape growing history since 1886, Don Román Montaña founded the winery Marqués de Tomares in 1910, and it is still operated by his grandchildren who continue to maintain the wineries tradition both in the winery and in the estate’s vineyards. With nearly 106 hectares of family owned vineyards, many of which more than 100 years old, spotted throughout Rioja Alta in Haro, Fuenmayor and the surrounding areas, careful viticulture and longtime partnerships with local farmers lend to the precise identity of Marqués de Tomares. The winery is still releasing small amounts of Reserva and Gran Reserva wines in various formats back to 1996, 2000, 2001, 2006.