2018 Bodegas de la Marquesa Valserrano Reserva

2018 Bodegas de la Marquesa Valserrano Reserva

2018 Bodegas de la Marquesa Valserrano Reserva Parcels with an average age of 40 years are the source of this stylish Reserva, produced from a medley of Tempranillo and 10% Graciano. Matured in both French and American oak, it’s ripe, textured, complex with mulberry and raspberry fruit and a balsamic twist. 2023-2032. Tim Adkins

Intense, with fresh nuances, cassis, blackberries, jammy fruit and just a hint of mountain herbs. When swirled in the glass, balsamic herb nuances, ripe red berries, pipe tobacco, and cedarwood cigar box. Complex and expressive. Fresh, meaty attack. Full, supple mouth-feel with velvety, balsamic tannins. Red berried fruit to the fore with reminders of jammy fruit and a long, flavorsome aftertaste with light mineral tones. Great potential for improving in the bottle. Winemaker

My favorite house from Rioja is Valserrano. While their wines remain reasonably priced, they are Rioja wine aristocracy making some of the finest wines in all of Spain.

Robert Parkers WA comments, “ Valserrano is one of those wineries that through the years has maintained very consistent quality in its wines. Honest and well-crafted wines that I highly recommend.”

Even though wine has been produced in Rioja for the last 700 years, it wasn’t until the mid-19th century that this region went through a “Renaissance period” and started focusing on quality rather than quantity.

It all happened in 1858 when Jean Pinaud, winemaker from Château Lanessan in Bordeaux was hired by Marques de Riscal winery to revitalize their wines. Once in Rioja, Pinaud taught other houses the importance of blending and aging in small oak barrels. While many of these estates refused to adopt these practices due to the increased production costs; the ones that did certainly saw their efforts pay off.

It’s not a coincidence than 150 years later these houses are what we now consider “Rioja’s First-Growths”. Houses like Valserrano, R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia, Muga and CVNE.

Valserrano is still owned and operated by the founding family. Today the great grandson of the founder Jaun Pablo De Simon runs the property with the help of his two sons Pablo and Jaime. Pablo visits us at Grapes every year and will be hosting a tasting here next week for customers. Valserrano is in Villabuena de Álava – in Rioja Alavesa, where the best terroirs are found. This is the first offering of the superb 2018 Bodegas de la Marquesa Valserrano Reserva. It is made from 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano varieties. Sourced from La Periquita vineyard, which neighbors Marques de Murrieta’s parcels. The 2018 vintage is a buy, 95pts by Parker’s WA for the vintage, describing the wines as, “Outstanding and accessible”. This is gorgeous, drinking superbly, superb bouquet of red and black fruits, cedar, toasty oak, the palate is wonderful concentration with a velvet mouthfeel with a long glorious finish. This is one of the finest red wines I have tasted this year at the price point. This is about as good a bottle of wine at this price point there is. This is not your lite weight old style Rioja, This a rich, medium bodied glorious red that will floor any red wine lover. I urge you to grab a case, you will be coming back for more.