Marqués de Riscal, an icon of Spanish wine

As an icon of Spanish wine on the worldwide stage, Marqués de Riscal is not only the first modern bodega in Rioja, founded in 1860, which manages to combine the seemingly impossible: quantity (9 million litres) and quality, but also the bodega that produces some of the most top profile and reserva wines. Furthermore, it brings its glorious past face to face with the most cosmopolitan future represented in the Frank Gehry building.

History

Marqués de Riscal is one of the oldest Rioja wineries. Founded in Elciego (Álava) in 1858 by Guillermo Hurtado de Amézaga, from the outset it has been a point of reference in the wine making business at both national and international level.

  1858  Creation of the Marqués de Riscal winery, the birth of a dream

1883 The original cellar was extended. This part is known as "El Palomar".
 

1862 First bottled Marqués de Riscal Wines; in just five years the first prizes began to arrive

 

1895  Marqués de Riscal was the first non-French wine to win the diploma of honour of the Bordeaux Exhibition
 

1972 Production of the first Marqués de Riscal white wines in Rueda

1980 Force behind the creation of the Denominación de Origen Rueda
 

1986 Barón de Chirel, the first "signature wine", launched
 

1995 Marqués de Riscal introduced the first grape sorting table in the Rioja appellation

1999 

First vintage of the Riscal 1860

 

 2000 Project 2000, a step into the future

     2006 Inauguration of the "City of Wine"

     

        2008 150th Anniversary of Marqués de Riscal

 

        2009  

Launch of Finca Torrea and Finca Montico

 

2010 Vinos Herederos de Marques de Riscal S.A. buys the Marqués de Arienzo Rioja appellation label
    

2011 Marqués de Riscal gets recognized as one of the 10 World´s Most Admired Wine Brands (Drinks International)

2011  Transformation of the 1883 wine cellar, one of our oldest wine cellars, into a space equipped with the latest technology. The idea is to combine the charm of this 19th century space with the most modern machinery

2011 Marqués de Riscal holds an historical auction in Beijing (China) of 100 vintages dating from 1862 to 2005

2011 The Marqués de Riscal Restaurant receives its first Michelin Star

Vineyards:

• 500 Ha of our own Tempranillo, Graciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mazuelo vines.

• 985 Ha of external vineyards controlled by the cellar.

Grape Varieties:

Tempranillo: predominant variety with a short growing cycle and delicate cultivation.
Graciano: late-ripening variety with a long growth cycle, hardy and high-yielding.
Mazuelo: minority variety in recession, late-ripening and hardy.
Cabernet Sauvignon: As well as the rest of the varieties, Marqués de Riscal has cultivated this variety since 1858, the year of its foundation. With a long cycle, hardy character and marked varietal character.

- See more at: http://www.marquesderiscal.com

Marqués de Riscal Reserva 2010

Introduction: 

Marqués de Riscal Reserva wines are basically made from grapes from tempranillo vines planted before de 70’s, grown in the best clay-limestone soils of the Rioja Alavesa. This variety withstands oak- and bottle ageing well thanks to its good balance of acidity and fine tannin. The Graciano and Mazuelo varieties, whose presence in the blend does not exceed 10%, provide crispness and a lively colour.

Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 26ºC and the maceration time is never more than 12 days. Riscal reservas spend around two years in American Oak barrels, producing a wine which corresponds to the classic Rioja style: fresh, fine, elegant and very suitable for laying down for many years. Before release for sale it spends a minimum of one year rounding off in the bottle; time enough to show how much complexity tempranillo is able to achieve. 

Grape Variety:

90% Tempranillo
7% Graciano
3% Mazuelo

Tasting notes:

Intense black-cherry colour with good depth of colour and hardly any signs of evolution. Very expressive aromas on the nose with notes of liquorice, cinnamon and black pepper, with just a subtle hint of the long cask-ageing, thanks to its great complexity and ripe, concentrated fruit. Fresh and easy to drink on the palate, good backbone and lovely, polished tannins. The long, persistent finish leaves gentle balsamic reminders of the finest quality. 

Awards:

Decanter World Wine Awards, 2015: Commended

Food pairing:

This wine goes well with ham, mild cheeses, casseroles which are not highly spiced, bean and pulse dishes, poultry, red meat, grills and roasts.

Best served at between 16º and 18ºC

Stewed Beef Brisket with Tomato

Ingredients:

800g beef brisket
2-3 tomatoes
5g ginger
5g garlic
1 tablespoon of Tomato Ketchup
2 teaspoon of sugar
2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoon of cooking oil

Directions:

Cut the beef brisket in to thumb sized cubes and tomatoes into similar sized cubes. Cut the ginger and garlic into slices.

Boil the beef cubes with cold water for about 5 minutes. Take the beef cubes out, wash clean and drain the water.

Heat up a pot with 2 tbsp of cooking oil over strong heat, when the oil is hot, put the ginger and garlic in and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, then add tomato cubes, keep stirring until they are soft. Put the Ketchup and beef cubes in, add 200ml boiling water and sugar, mix them well.

Cover and cook over low-medium heat for about half hour. Add salt, keep boiling for another half hour.