Catavino on La Rioja

Bodegas Amézola de La Mora

Ryan Opaz — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:17:53 +0000

Address: Paraje Viña Vieja, S/N – 26359 Torremontalvo (La Rioja)
Telephone: +34 941 454 537
info@bodegasamezola.net
www.bodegasamezola.net/

Dating back to the mid 19th century, as indicated by their naturally temperature controlled undergr0und cellars carved out of the rockface, the winery began its long and dramatic history. But due to the arrival of phylloxera in the late 19th century, the owner was forced to stop production until 1986 when great-grandsons, Iñigo and Javier Amézolade la Mora, re-started the project. Today, the winery has taken on a more feminine edge with Cristina and Maria Amézola, the daughters of Iñigo Amézola, and current owners of the winery.

For more information on the their vinification and aging practices, please visit their website.

Wine Produced: Inigo, Inigo Blanco, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva

Señorío de Amézola Reserva

Gabriella Opaz — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:40:45 +0000

Gabriella

2002 Señorío de Amézola Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (6/22/2009) Gorgeous blackberry, warm dark chocolate mousse, sawdust, spice box and tanned leather on the nose. Wow, in the mouth this wine is lush and giving, showing a racy acidity with medium firm tannins, and a sumptuous body that ebbs into a long dark fruit finish. This is a big-me-up wine, with it’s vivacity and liveliness, for those days you feel the weight of the world upon your shoulder. 4/5

Ryan

2002 Señorío de Amézola Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (6/22/2009)Deep chocolaty nose with old wood and cherry fruit. Love the balance on the nose of dusty history, and vanilla fruit. In the mouth this is a lush wine, with great fruit, and traditional Rioja spice. Tastes like the deepest cellar, with a freshness and lively attitude. This tastes like Rioja. Well done. 4/5

Viña Amézola Crianza

Gabriella Opaz — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:36:04 +0000

Gabriella

2005 Viña Amézola Crianza – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (6/22/2009) Dark boysenberry and bramble bush on the nose with a light dusting of vanilla and chocolate. In the mouth, the wine shows good acidity throughout, with subtle tannins and a light body. Overall a very straightforward wine, expressing more fruit than thought provoking flavor, but ideal if you’re craving a wine to pair with light summer cuisine! 3.5/5

Ryan

Viña Amézola Crianza 2005 – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (6/22/2008)Dusty nose on this wine, full of rich cherry notes, slate, and touches of cinnamon/chocolate. Full in the mouth with a bright acidity and fine smooth tannins. Cherry persists with hints of dusty cinnamon. Gentle and soft Crianza Rioja at it’s best. Perfect with lighter grilled meats. 4/5

Iñigo Amézola

Gabriella Opaz — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:34:49 +0000

Gabriella

2005 Iñigo Amézola – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (6/22/2009) Dark rustic aromas of black cherry, vanilla, toasted oak and a dusting of chocolate. In the mouth, the wine fails to deliver, as if an orchestra took on a newbie member that continually playing off key. Medium body, with chalky tannins and a dark fruit finish. 2.5/5

Ryan

2005 Iñigo Amézola – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (6/22/2009)Dark nose with clove, black fruit, and toasted oak. In the mouth a simple wine with lots of richness and charred wood. Big and bold, though not very complex. Sawdust finish, with some dark fruit notes. 2.5/5

Baigorri

Gabriella Opaz — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:00:39 +0000

Address: Ctra. Vitoria-Logroño, km. 53 01307 Samaniego
Telephone: 34 945 609 420
mail@bodegasbaigorri.com
www.bodegasbaigorri.com/

Located in the heart of La Rioja Alavesa, this is a relatively new winery envisioned and created by Jesús Baigorri, along with his young and innovative winemaking team. Renowned for their revolutionary, underground, concrete winery, which was designed by the Basque architect Iñaki Aspiazu; Bodegas Baigorri prides itself on using natural process such as gravity to avoid the use of pumps, chutes and machinery, which they feel can damage the grape. Five wines are produced, primarily with Tempranillo for reds and Viura for whites, which are manually harvested and aged in French oak barrels.

Wine Produced: Baigorri Blanco Fermentado en Barrica , Baigorri Maceración Carbónica, Baigorri Crianza, Baigorri Reserva, Baigorri Vino de Garage

Baigorri Reserva

Gabriella Opaz — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:55:47 +0000

Gabriella

2004 Baigorri Crianza – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (7/09/2008) Incredibly dark, ruby red in color in with an aromatic and floral nose showing rich red roses, bright dark cherries and just a touch of tanned leather. Really a lovely, dense and layered nose that is not mimicked in the same way on the palate. Although lovely in texture, with smooth fine tannins and great acidity, flavors are more demure showing simple dark fruits and a touch of spice on the end of a long and lingering finish.4/5

2004 Baigorri Crianza – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (7/09/2008)Darker color to this reserva and a nose that makes me think I’m in bordeaux with a spanish mistress. Pencil lead, and anise spice with an undercurrent of dark fruit. Really bold and walking with a foot in today and a foot in the yesterday. Lush in the mouth at first I feel like I’m old spain with rusitc flavors and yet as I swallow a bright note of candied cherry springs forth giving me a balancer to the austere herbalness. Juicy wine with very strong and coating tannins, I’ll give this wine a long wait…5-10yrs, and I think you may have something as long as the fruit sticks around. 3.5/5

Blanco Fermentado en Barrica

Gabriella Opaz — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:51:41 +0000

Gabriella

2003 Baigorri Fermentado en Barrica – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (7/09/2008) Florescent honey yellow in color with a medium hue. On the nose, gentle waves of honeycomb, banana, peach custard and lemon zest are followed by more subtle notes of vanilla and cream. Intense acidity right near the front of the mouth, ebbing into a lush, juicy mouthfeel with a long, creamy finish of vanilla, honey and lemon. Don’t be surprised if you get a little kick on the finish, as a result of the clove or nutmeg influence. My only wish is that the acidity were better integrated into the wine.3.5/5

Ryan

2003 Baigorri Fermentado en Barrica – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (7/09/2008)Bright golden yellow in color with a nose full of butter, orange rind, banana, musty honey notes and lightly oxidative qualities. Creamy in the mouth with full mouthfeel and medium acidity. Lush and welcoming, the wine shows it’s barrel influence, with light vanilla notes, some clove like spice, and peach/nectarine notes. A good wine that is mature and would pair well with heartier fish dishes. 3.5/5

Biagorri Crianza

Gabriella Opaz — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:46:46 +0000

Gabriella

2004 Baigorri Crianza – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (7/09/2008) Dark maroon wrapped in a shimmering violet embrace. Dense dark fruit compote on the nose, with a touch of black vanilla bean and spice. In the mouth, the wine shows silky fine tannins that slither off your tongue leaving pleasant and delicate flavors of wet earth and blackberry. Medium to high acidity, with a great round mouthfeel, this is a wine to savor with food, as the spicy finish would marry well with grilled steak. 4/5

2004 Baigorri Crianza – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (7/09/2008)Deep maroonish red, with a nose that is restrained. Fat twizzler cherry with a load of dark spice, clove and nutmeg come to mind. The nose is one that is fun and developing with touches of violets, earth and I hate to say it but sweat…hmmm. Not in a bad way(very cliche) but really it has a funky rich cherriness to it. In the mouth this is a pleaser with a rich round fruit and lots of vibrant spice, framed by a dry oak finish. Seriously this is like a painting on the wall in an oak frame where the subject matter is stewed cherries sitting atop raw earth and sprinkles of violet petals and cloves. Fun, with a richness, that cleans itself up on the finish. 3.5/5

Baigorri Maceración Carbónica

Gabriella Opaz — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:32:45 +0000

Gabriella

2007 Baigorri Maceración Carbónica – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (7/9/2008) Dark and clean mulberry red in color with a medium cherry rim. Big aromatic nose with lush dark berry aromas wrapped in a fresh notes of clove and red rose. Beware as this wine shows a definite bite in the mouth, like chewing on a raw black peppers. This slowly chills to show more mineral and slate notes with a nice lingering mulberry and stewed cranberry finish. Albeit a little acrid, with a little air, I think this wine has some potential. 3.5/5

Ryan

2007 Baigorri Maceración Carbónica – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (7/9/2008) Bright red color on this wine with a nose that fresh and alive. Really enjoy it when a wine opens like this right away with some complexity. Sour cherry with a bit of funk, and a lightly stewed quality. In the mouth that freshness carries through with a great big acidity. Light acridness on the finish combines with a ton of minerals, while the fresh cherry fruit plays second fiddle. Still a touch of carbonic on it, but overall a simple fresh wine. Probably great with a slice of deep dish! 3.5/5

Baigorri Vino de Garage

Gabriella Opaz — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:01:03 +0000

Gabriella

2003 Baigorri Vino de Garage Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (7/09/2008) Dark ruby, teetering on black, in color with a aromas of stewed fruit, green herbs and dates. In the mouth, this wine is lush and juicy – like biting into a juicy slightly grilled steak – with medium acidity and a fine, powdery tannins. On the first sip, I get a rush of marinated raisins, tobacco, smoke and anise, ending in a medium to long red fruit finish. Overall, very good wine. 4/5

Ryan

2003 Baigorri Viño de Garage – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (7/09/2008) Beautiful color to this wine, with a nose that screams “decant me!”…With about a half hour of air this wine really opens nice with raspberry and light oak notes, but in the end this holds some rustic musty values close to it’s core. In the mouth this is a succulent wine with some great raspberry/cherry notes, and lots of cinnamon spice. Bit like a spiced cherry pie with a dark streak on the finish full of fine tannins. Very modern wine with elements of tradition, though very approachable now. I would say open, decant 1hr and enjoy, time may help but this is a wine that seems better fit for appreciation of it’s physique. 3.5/5