Ready for some #EffervescentEducation, my bubbly lovers! Let’s talk Rioja sparkling wine!
Let me guess: right now you’re saying “Wait, Davon—bubbly from the heart of Tempranillo wine country?”
If you’ve never heard of sparklers from Rioja before that’s probably because the region only officially authorized the DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada) for sparkling wine in 2017, despite bubbly actually being made in the region for several decades.
I had the privilege of tasting my first taste one—the Vivanco Cuvée “Inédita” 2019 Reserva Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs—at a recent @sommguild Rioja seminar and I was instantly enamored.
Ready to learn a little about Rioja sparklers? Let’s get effervescently edified, shall we? Check out these facts:
- sparkling wines are classified as “Reserva” and “Gran Añada”
- all grapes are hand harvested
- wines made in the traditional method
- the base wine can be “young or barrel-aged” and made into a white, rosé or a white of red, but never a red
- after second fermentation, the bottles are laid horizontally to rest for 15 months
- then the bottles are inverted at an angled V formation so the sediment collects in the neck for up to 21 days
- there’s a unique step in disgorgement: “The neck of the bottle is placed in salt water at a very low temperature (-25ºC). The fermentation remains then form a small block that is cut and such sediments are completely discarded.”
Completely intrigued by the saltwater technique, the wine geek in me hypothesizes that it has something to do with the differential between the saline solution in some sort of counterpressure effect with the weight of the sediment. In any case, I’m definitely intrigued and plan to research more to find out!
NOW let’s get specifically into the Vivanco 2019 “Inédita” Reserva Extra Brut!
In terms of production and winemaking Vivanco proclaims that this is the first time a sparkling wine has been made primarily of native Rioja white grape varieties. Check the blend: 45% Maturana white (THE oldest Riojan variety) + 30% Tempranillo white + 15% Viura a/k/a Macabeo (plus 10% Chardonnay).
NOSE: white floral aromas, green orchard fruits, citrus, and a whisper of a pleasant savory Parmesan cheese rind note.
PALATE: juicy green apple, lime zest, crunchy green peach, and a mild nuttiness like almond skin that plays through with vivacious, fresh acidity, rounded minerality, and delicate salinity.
There was also an interesting undercurrent of gracefulness to this wine that made me want to sip again and again to really focus in in every single thing I was tasting.
The good news: these bottles come with a price point of just $20-$25. Now for the not-so-great-at-all news: the wines can be extremely difficult to source int eh US, especially since many of these lovely wines are small production. For example, the Vivanco production was just over 5,300 bottles. BUT, if you happen to know or have a favorite importer or distributor at your disposal, you may want to check with them to see if and/or when they may be able to get their hands on some bottles for you.
If you’re wondering if the hunt is worth it, here’s a sample of how incredibly diverse these wines can be: when it comes to food pairings, you can match these bubbles with oysters, scallops, prawns, sushi, sashimi, foie gras, Iberian ham, Caesar salad, salmon in puff pastry, paella, pasta, roast lamb, pigeon, turbot or baked monkfish, goat cheese, Comté cheese, dark chocolate with olive oil and fleur de sel. These are sparklers to drink throughout the entire meal!