Spain: Rioja – Crianza & Sin Crianza
2015: Gold 2 Silver 15 Bronze 4 Commended 9
2014: Gold 3 Silver 9 Bronze 3 Commended 5
Rioja is one of the largest sections of the Sommelier Wine Awards, delivering swathes of medals over the past few years – and it was a similar story this year. The slightly lower number of Golds, and swollen number of Silvers suggests that the vintages on display here weren’t quite as good as in 2014’s competition, but overall the consistency was impressive and our tasters were happy with what they saw.
The only danger? A category that’s so popular and recognisable that it can swamp anything around it, so pick with care and think strategically!
Star Performer
Congratulations to Bodegas Artesa, which picked up a second consecutive place on the Gold List, with the 2012 following on from last year’s 2011.
FOOTNOTE: As well as wines with no oak ageing, this category also included more expensive wines that had elected not to classify themselves according to Rioja’s ageing hierarchy.
From the Tasting Teams
‘It was really good value for money. As an introduction to Tempranillo this is great.’ Jade Koch, team leader
‘We found good wines with different styles and at different price-points, although the mid-priced showed the best combination of value and flavour.’ Laurent Chaniac, Cinnamon Club
‘I was quite impressed with the entry-level wines. They are the sort of thing I can imagine on by the glass in pubs and so on.’ Eike Bosche, consultant sommelier
‘The danger of Rioja is that it’s too easy to sell – it tends to kill other wine sales; wines you’ve made a real effort to find.’ Ram Chhetri, Bread Street Kitchen
‘Rioja is an easy sell, but customers don’t have much knowledge about the region.’ Enikő Heidenwolf, Bread Street Kitchen
‘Crianzas are great for people who want Spanish flavour, but at an affordable price.’ Julien Sahut, Wine Culture