While red wines may be made using Mazuelo (Cariñena), Maturana Tinta, Graciano, and Garnacha, the hero of the region is Tempranillo, which is cultivated on three-quarters of the region’s vineyards and accounts for almost 90 percent of all red grapes grown here. A typical Rioja blend is 85 percent Tempranillo, 10 percent Graciano, and 5 percent Mazuelo. Tempranillo brings essential flavors of black plum and black currant along with ageability, while Graciano adds aroma and structure and Mazuelo rounds things out with juicy fruit flavors and a touch of spice. We are starting to see more and more bottlings of single-varietal Garnacha, Maturana, Graciano, and Mazuelo; while many of these are experimental, small-lot wines, they are worth seeking out. Some of the best single varietal Garnacha is produced in Rioja Oriental.
Among white wines, Viura (known elsewhere in Spain as Macabeo) reigns supreme, making up around 69 percent of white grapes in the region. Some of the best, age-worthy whites are single varietal Viura, which has an affinity for oak aging similar to well-crafted Chardonnay. Tempranillo Blanco, a naturally occurring mutation of Tempranillo that was first discovered in 1988 and allowed into production in 2007, is second most populous and accounts for 13 percent of vineyards. Other allowed white grapes include Garnacha Blanca, Malvasía, Maturana Blanca, Verdejo, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.
In addition to grape varieties, it’s important to consider the Riojan aging system, which in order of least to most time in barrel and post-barrel bottle aging for reds is Rioja (also called generic, for young wines with zero to little oak influence), Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva. While the regulations for aging in bottle prior to release help to soften some of the effects of barrel aging, especially in new oak, it makes sense that as wine lovers’ craving for well-oaked wines continues to diminish, Crianza wines are the most popular from Rioja, while sales of Gran Reserva remain flat. White wines also use the same system, although the oak aging requirements are for significantly less time than for red. For example, while Gran Reserva reds are aged for minimum two years in oak and two years in bottle with a total of five years required before release, white Gran Reservas are aged for a total of four years with only six months required in barrel.
