Bodegas Beronia Rioja Reserva 2015
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Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThis round, juicy red is fresh and lively. Black cherry, tangy plum, leafy, toast and vanilla flavors mingle over moderate tannins and orange peel acidity. Bright and accessible, but has the structure to age. Drink now through 2030.
Opening decidedly into ripe plum, juicy blackberry and tart black cherry flavors, this Tempranillo-dominant Reserva boasts fresh, lively acidity and an extroverted fruit-forward character which unwinds into round tannins, cinnamon spice and a kiss of vanilla oak on the finish.
Plum and cherry with some bark and mushroom. Some cherry-coulis. Full-bodied with round tannins and hints of chocolate. Some hazelnut, too. Drink now.
Beronia wines are defined by the region and the soils in which the vines are grown, and its name is linked to the history of the area. During the 3rd Century BC the region, known today as La Rioja Alta, was inhabited by the ‘berones’, a Celtic tribe who called the area ‘Beronia’.
The winery was founded in 1973 by a group of friends from the Basque country who wanted the best wine to accompany their gastronomic get-togethers (called Txoko in their native Basque). The winery was acquired by Gonzalez Byass in 1982, while some of the original founders still visit the winery to dine as they have done for decades.
The winery is surrounded by 20 hectares of own vineyards. The technical team at Beronia also control 870 hectares of vineyards within a 10km radius of the winery, enabling them to exercise optimum control over the quality. Beronia’s blend is led by Tempranillo, and complemented by Graciano, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Viura. Sustainable agriculture is practiced at every level with certain vineyards certified organic.
The role of oak is key to the Beronia style. The winemaker and his team are constantly studying how the wines react to different levels of toasting and types of wood. These experiments have led to Beronia’s pioneering development of mixed barrels; produced from American oak staves and French oak tops.
Hailed as the star red variety in Spain’s most celebrated wine region, Tempranillo from Rioja, or simply labeled, “Rioja,” produces elegant wines with complex notes of red and black fruit, crushed rock, leather, toast and tobacco, whose best examples are fully capable of decades of improvement in the cellar.
Rioja wines are typically a blend of fruit from its three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta and Alavesa, at the highest elevations, are considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier, Rioja Oriental, produce wines with deep color, great body and richness.