Winemaker Notes
The Barón de Chirel wine appeared in 1986 as the outcome of an experimental production using a selection of grapes from very old vines, of more than 30 years, with a very low yield and high quality. The results of this trial led to the birth of the first of what could be called new age Rioja wines. A wine of very limited production, that embodies the characteristics of the vineyard, the soil and the variety in overall harmony. With Barón de Chirel, Riscal sets a landmark in the production of quality wines. Highly successful on the national and international markets, this wine is ideal as an accompaniment to red and white meats, roasts, big and small game, stews, lamb, pork, beef, cured and blue cheeses. The 96 vintage is classified as "Very good" and had extremely dry weather, with sharp contrasts, ideal for the ripening of the grape colour. The colour is an intense garnet with a cherry rim. Intense aromas of toast, caramel and vanilla on the nose. In the mouth it is full, tannic, with a delicate hint of oak.
Ageing in oak: 26 months.
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.