Tempranillo lovers will embrace these offerings from Spain’s Bodegas Muriel winery

Let’s get in a Spanish mood with these classic reds from Rioja, which leads the world when it comes to producing full-flavoured, stylish tempranillo. Salud!

Salud! Bodegas Muriel wines from Spain’s Rioja region.

A few years back, when I managed a wine business that included ­Tanunda Cellars in the Barossa Valley, I came to realise that local winemakers were our best customers.

While every good winemaker loves a beer (you may remember the Coopers ads), they also wanted access to European wines to benchmark their own wines.

Winemakers producing premium shiraz wanted to compare wines from southern France’s Rhone Valley; those making cabernet were keen to sample the latest from Bordeaux; riesling makers were chasing examples from Germany. You get the picture.

When it comes to tempranillo, the wine region that leads the world is Spain’s Rioja.

This week, The Australian Wine Club is highlighting an excellent producer in Rioja, Bodegas Muriel, whose family owners export to Australia through our wine club partner Laithwaites.

It’s a relationship that goes back years, giving us the opportunity to offer three outstanding Rioja tempranillo and a fresh white typical of Rioja at a price that won’t break the bank.

Located in Spain’s central north, about 480km west of Barcelona, Rioja is regarded as the country’s finest wine region.

The area is divided into three wine subregions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Oriental and Rioja Alavesa.

The Bodegas Muriel winery, which produces the Baron de Barbon wines we’re offering today, is located on the elevated slopes of the highly regarded Rioja Alavesa subregion, known for producing full-flavoured tempranillo with great acidity.

The talent behind the Baron de Barbon label is Javier Murua, a fast-rising winemaker whose father Julian owns Bodegas Muriel, which was established by his parents in 1926. The bodega was originally sold when Julian’s father retired but the family bought it back in the mid-1980s to write a new winemaking chapter.

A good tempranillo should deliver beautiful red and black berry flavours – think raspberries, dark cherries – high natural acidity and dry tannins. Tempranillo can also show complex savoury flavours, such as dill, tobacco and woody qualities.

While full of flavour, Rioja tends to be medium bodied – not unlike a merlot. The wines are renowned for their ability to age well, developing lovely secondary characters of leather, vanilla and spice.

The Spanish take the ageing process seriously and have developed a system to enable wine lovers to easily understand how long wines have been matured and cellared.

One of the wines on offer today is classified as a Reserva while the other is a Gran Reserva.

Reserva wines must be aged for a minimum of three years, with at least one in barrel and the rest in bottle. These wines are made using the best grapes of a harvest, and are only produced during good years. Reserva wines generally show signs of ageing, with rich round fruit flavours melding with secondary characters like cigar box and dried fruit.

Gran Reserva wines are also only made in years with exceptional growing seasons and must be aged in oak for at least two years, and then spend at least three more years in bottle prior to release. Theses wines show significant secondary notes.

Because of its ability to grow in tough, hot conditions, tempranillo is finding favour in parts of Australia, especially McLaren Vale.

This is your chance to do a little benchmarking of your own. If you enjoy elegant red wines, full of flavour without feeling heavy, it’s time to say, “Salud!”

Baron de Barbon Oak Aged Rioja 2019

Our wine club’s best-selling Rioja, made in an easy-drinking style. Bright strawberry and blackberry flavours are complemented by a touch of vanilla, clove and spice. You’ll enjoy a flourish of mocha on the finish. Silky soft tannins make this wine a great all-rounder, enjoyed on its own or with barbecued favourites like lamb chops or chargrilled vegetable kebabs. A great price for tempranillo from the superior Alavesa region. 14% alc. RRP $22 a bottle.

SPECIALS $16.99 a bottle in any dozen; $23.99 in Spanish reds dozen; $22.49 in Spanish reds and white dozen.

Baron de Barbon Reserva 2017

Aged for more than two years in French and American oak, this five-year-old Reserva strikes a beautiful balance between fruit richness and complexity. Generous raspberry flavours are complemented with toasty vanilla and coffee notes, peppered with spice. Rounded silky tannins deliver a smooth long ride. A beauty. 14% alc. RRP $32 a bottle.

SPECIALS $24.99 a bottle in any dozen; $23.99 in Spanish reds dozen; $22.49 in Spanish reds and white dozen.

Baron de Barbon Gran Reserva Rioja 2012

 

For those who want to delve deep into the taste of 10-year-old Rioja. From Bodegas Muriel’s older, lower-yielding vines, matured for 30 months in barrel and three years in bottle. You’ll find damson plums and raspberry aromas, leading to a complex, medium-bodied palate with berries, truffles, nutmeg and toasty vanilla woven together. More savoury than fruity; you can taste the age of this wine. A genuine Rioja experience. 13.5% alc. RRP $45 a bottle.

SPECIALS $24.99 a bottle in any dozen; $23.99 in Spanish reds dozen; $22.49 in Spanish reds and white dozen.

Baron de Barbon Rioja Blanco 2020

A classic Rioja white made from the viura grape. Delicate lemon blossom and grapefruit aromas drive this racy bestseller. Subtle melon and stonefruit flavours drive a clean, generously weighted ­palate, with just a hint of creaminess. Tapas for lunch please. 13% alc. RRP $22 a bottle.

SPECIALS $16.99 a bottle in any dozen; $22.49 in Spanish reds and white dozen.
RED DOZEN Four bottles of each red wine for $23.99 a bottle.
RED & WHITE DOZEN Three bottles of each wine for $22.49 a bottle.

Order online or telephone [phone] Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm AEST. Deals available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine.