The Estate
Within Rioja and across Spain as a whole, the winemakers are often split into two camps – traditional and modern. Come to think of it, this demarcation of style is occurring across the entire winemaking (and wine drinking) world. Traditionalist Rioja drinkers enjoy a wine that spends at least a half-decade in American oak, then rests in the bottle to think about for another few years. You often see the current vintage from traditional winemakers on the shelves of fine wine stores or restaurant wine lists 7-10 years after they have been produced. On the other side of the coin, there are the modernists. Often aided by flying consultants that have clients on m