If in the previous publication we covered the different varietals permitted by the Consejo Regulador de Rioja, and as you will have seen there are quite a few, now we are going to focus on those used by Bodegas Montecillo.
And it’s good to know that every winery uses the most suitable ones to make the wines that it wants to offer consumers.
It’s easy for us, as we’ve been making our wines since 1874 , so we are talking, literally, of centuries of experience. We know the grapes that we use very well and the best way of getting out all the potential that lays within them.
Of the fourteen varieties already presented we are going to carefully analyse the two red grape varieties that go into the Montecillo range of wines:
Graciano
Graciano is a Spanish grape variety of uncertain origin, but it is thought of as Riojan.
As we already mentioned, this is a variety that is playing ever-greater roles, that is to say, beyond its use in blends, along with other grapes, it is the sole player in single varietal wines of worldwide prestige, both in Rioja and Navarra.
We use it as 10% of the blend in our Crianza.
It is interesting to note that, in a This doesn’t mean that it makes no difference whether you use it or not, as the purpose of using it in small quantities is to give certain characteristics that are ideal for our Crianza.
We seek a respectful balance between the classicism of our wines and that light-hearted touch that makes our Montecillo Crianza so easy to enjoy: a delicious wine.
Strictly talking about our Graciano, it comes from the best parcels in the Rioja Alta. It is worth saying that it is a low-yielding grape; this is why its cultivation is not very widespread, 395 hectares to be specific (0.7% of the total Riojan vineyard).
It thrives in arid, warm climes. The vine produces a low quantity of very aromatic berries.
To be technical, the bunch has two short cylindrical shoulders. The grapes are round and small in size. The pulp is firm and colourless. The skin has a very dark colour and is highly resistant to disease.
It is interesting to note that in the year 2000, the Madrid Institute of Farming and Food Research (IMIA) carried out a wide scale study on Spanish grape varieties. This study showed that Graciano from Rioja, Parraleta from Somontano and Tintilla de Rota are the same grape variety.
Other synonyms for Graciano are: Bastardo Nero, Bastard Negre, Bois Dur, Bordelais, Cagliunari, Cagnonale, Cagnovali Nero, Cagnulari, Cagnulari Bastardo, Cagnulari Sardo, Cagnulatu, Caldareddu, Caldarello, Cargo Muol, Courouillade, Courouillade, Couthurier, Drug, Graciana, Graciano Tinto, Grosse Negrette, Jerusano, Karis, Marastel, Matarou, Minostello, Minustello, Monastel, Monestaou, Morastel, Morestel, Mourastel, Perpignan, Perpignanou Bois Dur, Plant de Ledenon, Tinta do Padre Antonio, Tinta Miuda, Tintilla, Uva Cagnelata, Xeres (the latter is of Californian origin, in Spain Jerez is Sherry, what Osborne is about), Cendrón, Tanat Gris, Tinta Miúda and Tinta do Padre. So more than a few…
Tempranillo
An original Spanish grape variety, it was first grown by the Phoenicians in their settlements in the South of Spain, with the Romans responsible for spreading it across the whole of the peninsular.
It covers 31,046 hectares, making up 61% of the Rioja D.O.Ca. vineyard area. Its cultivation continues to grow and it is considered native to Spain.
It is very common among the Spanish public to confuse the name of the varietal with a wine that has been aged for a short time, that is to say with a young wine.
However, although its use is well-established in these types of wine, it is important to point out that where Tempranillo shows its true class is in just the opposite, in more exclusive wines in terms of price and ageing potential: Reservas and Gran Reservas.
Its name is a diminutive version of temprano «early», due to the fact that it ripens several weeks earlier than the majority of Spain’s black grape varieties.
Its genesis is from two other varieties: Albillo Mayor and Benedicto. It could have been born through a spontaneous hybridization during the last millennium, some where around the Ebro River Valley.
Until recently, it was suspected that it was related to the Pinot Noir grape, but recent genetic studies tend to rule out this possibility. Although it is certain that if you have the chance to compare an aged Burgundy with an aged Rioja you will find astonishing similarities.
Outside of Spain, the grape plays a very important role in the production of wines in two regions of Portugal: the Alentejo and the Douro. In the Central Alentejo it is known as Aragonez, while in the Douro (or the Duero as the same river is known in Spain) it is called Tinta Roriz and it is used mainly in blends to make Port.
In the New World this variety is widely grown in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, México and even in the Dominican Republic (yes, they also make wine in the Caribbean.)
It arrived in California (between the 19th and 20th Centuries) with the name of Valdepeñas and it was grown in the Central Valley. It is also grown in many Australian winemaking regions, including the McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills and Western Australia. There are currently more than 100 Australian wineries making wine with this varietal.
This is a thick-skinned black grape variety. It grows best at relatively high altitude, although it can also tolerate much more temperate climates.
It is very stable in terms of fruit set, but very sensitive to pests and diseases, and offers very little resistance to drought or high temperatures. Delicate.
The bunches are cylindrical and compact. The berry is a very dark colour with a colourless pulp. It is round-shaped, hence its name in Catalan: Ull de Llebre (Hare’s eye.)
It is – once again, alongside Pinot Noir – one of the grapes with the highest antioxidant power. Making it a potion for eternal youth.
We will end with its synonyms, as you’ve already seen we have a soft spot for them, and being so widespread, there is no shortage of names for this varietal.
Tinta del País in Castilla y León – except in Zamora where it is called Tinta de Toro – Aragón, Aragonez or Aragonês (in Portugal, with the variants Aragonês da Ferra and Aragonez de Elvas), Arauxa (Orense), Arganda, Arinto tinto; Cencibel (in la Mancha –Cuenca, Guadalajara and Ciudad Real, as well as Madrid) and its variants: Cencibel Chinchillana, Cencibera, Sensibel, Chinchillaza (Badajoz), Chinchillana (Extremadura), Chinchillano; Cupani, Escobera (in Badajoz), Garnacho Foño (in South America), Grenache de Logrono (this means «garnacha from Logroño»); Jacibera and its varients: Jaciuera and Jacivera; Juan García, Morisca (Cáceres), Negra de Mesa, Negrall,, Palomino Negro (Cádiz), Piñuela (Toledo), Verdiell (Cataluña) and Vid de Aranda (Burgos).
These are, for now, the grapes that we use in Bodegas Montecillo. We hope you enjoy them.
