Tasting - Rioja Crianza

 The next wine up that I tried is a 2018 Rioja Crianza by Montecillo Winery. From Vivino, Rioja is one Spain's most famous wine regions and is one of only two regions classified under the Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) system. Its two most important red grapes are Tempranillo and Garnacha. The Crianza part of the name speaks to the aging process and this process is the wines being in their 3rd year, with at least 12 months spent in oak barrels. It was about $15 and uses Tempranillo, Graciano, and Garnacha grapes. that 2018 was one of the best vintage years for Rioja! Montecillo is also a very well known winery in the area in Span. (pg 201). Something I found interesting from the texWhen I first smelled it, I got notes of dark fruit like cherries and maybe some raspberry? It was a very full bodied wine and tasted slightly sweet and acidic but became a little sweeter as it was drank. Some reviews also agreed with how the sweetness/acidity changed with time and one pointed out that it is due to the oxygen getting to it. I had some dark chocolate for dessert with this wine and I feel like they complimented each other well. Neither left a weird taste when tasting the chocolate and then the wine or vise-versa. The reviews say it pairs well with grilled meats. It got very good reviews and many people seemed to get dark fruits and even some smokey scents and vanilla. I understand the fruits but was struggling to find hints of vanilla or smoke. This is another one that me and my roommate finished for Valentines Day and were able to put fun lights into the bottle for decoration in our apartment! https://www.vivino.com/US/en/es-montecillo-rioja-crianza/w/1100227?year=2018




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