Marqués de Riscal
Address: Vinos de los Herederos de Marques de Riscal, Torrea 1, 01340 Alava
Telephone: +34 945 606 000
marquesderiscal@marquesderiscal.com
www.marquesderiscal.com
Having spent the better half of an afternoon touring through the City of Wine, we can tell you that although the initial shock of seeing radiant shades of pink and green slowly creep up over the sandstone horizon takes a few moments to wear off, the entire estate is truly worth a visit. From the Cathedral of Wine, a cellar filled with 150,000 bottles dating back to the time of Queen Isabella II up until the present day (85% is said to be drinkable), to the space age design of Frank Gehry’s metallic hotel, designed to mimic the windswept vineyards, it’s a site to behold.
The majority of Marques de Riscal’s 1,508 hectares (200 ha. of which are their own) are located in El Ciego, Alava, while the rest stretch out across the surrounding villages. Harvesting primarily the Tempranillo grape, additional plantings of Graciano, Mazuelo and Cabernet Sauvignon can also be found. Vines are approximately 5-15 years old for their Rose, 15-30 for their Reserva and 30+ for their Gran Reserva wines.
The original cellar built in 1858, is a monument to wine, with its windy and narrow, stone-covered hallways, cobweb decorated ceilings and inflused with a mesmorizing aroma of barrel aging. It’s everything you would imagine a historic cellar to feel like. But since that time, the winery has moved locations, in addition to three renovations in 1883, 1968 and 2000. Today, Marques de Riscal sells between 4.5 to 5 million bottles a year of which 60% is sold to 76 different countries around the world.
Wines Produced: Marqués de Riscal Rosado Joven; Bodegas Marqués de Riscal; Reserva; Gran Reserva; Barón de Chirél
Additional Articles on Winery:
Some of the Food Culture of La Rioja (warning may cause salivation)
An Aussie’s Take on Rioja Wine
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April 25th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I would like to receive your reports from Rioja.