Luberri, "Biga de Luberri", Rioja Crianza - 2018

Name: Luberri, "Biga de Luberri", Rioja Crianza
Brand: Luberri
SKU: 45081
Price: 20.99 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Item # 45081 750mL

Biga is the Basque word for the number rwo, and this is the second wine of the estate. It is also sourced from two vineyards planted entirely to Tempranillo around the village of Elciego. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, and elevage in French and American oak barrels. This dry red is both fresh and accessible, but a seriously well made wine. Pair with pork stewed with root vegetables.

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Color

Red

Vintage

2018

Country

Spain

Region

Rioja

Sub-Region

Rioja Alavesa

Producer

Luberri

Grape Variety

Tempranillo

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Staff Pick Notes

Honest and gratifying are good ways to describe this well made Crianza from the Luberri. It's their "second wine" meant for consumption sooner than the aged reservas. Weight and structure are present, but it's a little more relaxed by Rioja standards. The fruit comes from two vineyards planted in clay calcareous soils near Elciego in Rioja Alavesa. It is vinified in stainless steel and aged in a combination of French and American oak for exactly one year. Tasting this wine is pure joy. Notes of red plums, dill, and leather are on the front of the palate and are countered with savory spices on the finish. Winemaker Florentino Martínez Monje sums up his method with the sentiment that "Luberri wines are land, climate, work and tradition." Nothing more is needed when all of a wine's elements are this great.

- TD

Glossary

Spain

Central to the Spanish winemaking philosophy is the belief that wine should be released only when it is ready to be consumed, and not a moment before. Spanish wine law focuses squarely on this issue: the terms Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva are highly regulated indicators of the amount of time a wine has aged prior to its release. In Rioja, Navarra, and the Ribera del Duero (which have the most stringent requirements) red Crianzas must be aged a minimum of two years; Reservas, at least three...

Tempranillo

A.k.a. Cencibel. Just about synonymous with Spanish wine, the red Tempranillo grape has now fully won over the hearts and minds of critics and amateur oenophiles all over the world. The best bottles are powerful and ageworthy, and are beginning to fetch prices you'd never have expected from Spanish wines just a few years ago. Tempranillo is often used in blends with Bordeaux grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and has lately been grown with considerable success outside of Spain, in...

Rioja

The origin of Spanish winemaking, Rioja has been the benchmark for Spanish wines in the international market for over two hundred years, and remains so to this day. Tempranillo is the star of the red wines here, though its expression can vary wildly from producer to producer. Traditionally-styled Riojas tend to be subtle and soft, and often have high levels of acidity to ensure their survival through the lengthy ageing process. The more modern producers are making powerful, dark,...