15 Years Later, My Favorites From Rioja
It has been fifteen years since I first passed through Logroño, the capital of Rioja, on the Camino de Santiago. My wife and I left Sean-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, in September of 2010, and by the time we reached Logroño, 7 days later, our feet were blistered, our knees were weak, every part of us was covered in dust, and we were always hungry. Walking an average of 20 miles a day will work up an appetite!
Fortunately, there is no better place to eat in Spain than the famous Calle Laurel, Logroño’s famous avenue of pintxos. Never mind the Michelin-starred restaurants of Bilbao or San Sebastian, the tapas of Rioja are where it's at!
Picture this: a 200-meter pedestrian street (as well as a few neighboring streets) with more than 65 bars and restaurants, each known for a particular dish—patatas bravas, sausages grilled over open coals, fried mushrooms, croquettas, anchovies, Jamón Ibérico….I could go on! For a hungry pilgrim, the Calle Laurel is the promised land! It’s also a wine lover's paradise. At every stop, you have at least a dozen or more bottles to choose from to wash down a perfect bite of food. The abundance of wine choices is the dynamism of Rioja on display.
So what has changed in 15 years? This past January, I finally made it back to this pintxos paradise to find out, with a deeper dive into the wines. By night, Dan and I explored the tapas joints and surveyed the range of wines. By day, we ventured out to the surrounding vineyards, tracking down the best of what we tasted, to meet the people behind them.
It was day two of our Rioja trek that we met Israel Eguìluz, ground zero for the new wave of Rioja producers. He is grounded in the long tradition of winemaking in Rioja, but he is also thoughtful about the new direction he is pointed in: shying away from big oak-y wines associated with the region, and highlighting what makes his vineyards unique, not blending them away into a uniform commodity.
To demonstrate this, Israel bottles a pair of wines, white and red, he calls Las Preferidas--the Favorites--a selection of his best plots, which speak to his vision of reshaping what Rioja is all about.
BODEGAS EGUILUZ
• Las Preferidas Blanco Rioja DOCa 2023 •
on pre-arrival for $42 (reg. $49)
Just 60 bottles available
This is Israel’s conception, through and through; the only white wine Bodegas Eguíluz has produced. It comes from the highest elevation vineyards (650 meters!) where the grapes develop great concentration without sacrificing acidity. A blend of old vine Viura and a small percentage of Garnacha Blanca (15%).
Reminiscent of fine white Burgundy, this is fermented in new French oak barrels for 7 months. But don't let that fool you; this is not an oak-y wine by any measure. Rather, all that time in the barrel transforms into texture and complexity, with savory aromas subtly integrated into the wine. Scents of mint, citrus, and stone fruit, a silky palate, and long, clean mineral note on the finish...This would just sing with seafood--Spanish anchovies, oysters, or seared tuna! Drink now or cellar for 3-5 years.
BODEGAS EGUILUZ
• Las Preferidas Tinto Rioja DOCa 2023 •
on pre-arrival for $42 (reg. $49)
Just 60 bottles available
Made in the old-school mentality of minimal intervention, this is a selection from Israel's favorite plots. 90% Tempranillo with the remaining 10% a mix of Garnacha, and the white varieties Viura and Calagraño. Israel maintains the traditional practice of crushing the grapes by foot for a gentle extraction that maintains delicacy in the final wine. It is then cellared for 9 months in used barrels, which enhances the texture without masking its fruity character.
Explosive and attention-grabbing from the jump, full of wild red fruits and a juicy mid-palate. This is structured, but with a very fine, round texture, balanced with fresh red and black fruit that keeps you going back for just one more sip. Pair this with grilled meats, a juicy roast, or even a plate of Iberico ham. Drink now or cellar for 5-8 years.
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It’s winemakers like Israel Eguìluz that make Rioja such a dynamic place, and if you want to know what the new Rioja tastes like, you have to try these wines.Everything we tasted from them was enticing and revelatory, and both the red and the white Las Preferidas are phenomenal examples of the quality to be found in Rioja