The DOCa Rioja Control Board rated the 2021 harvest as “very good”. This evaluation was ratified following a thorough analytical process during which all the wines made last year under the Designation were sampled.

 

 

Between December 2021 and February 2022 a total of 5,025 samples were collected from the fermentation tanks of the wineries and subjected to a physical-chemical analysis and subsequent tasting by a panel of 120 professionals.

 

Pablo Franco, the Director of the Rioja Board’s Supervisory Body, gave an assessment in which he praised the excellence and complexity of the harvest, during which “the favourable weather conditions undoubtedly conditioned the ripening and led to a brilliant end of cycle; the extension of the harvest period facilitated a phenolic ripening without acceleration and selective harvesting”. 2021 being “synonymous with structure, colour and, of course, the complexity of Rioja itself.”

 

 

The red wines excel in terms of the intensity of their colour, the complexity of their aroma and their ability to link their nuances to Rioja’s soil. Their polyphenolic content gives this type of wine great balance and the tannins with enormous oenological potential in the structure highlight the extraordinary ripeness of the harvest. As for the whites and rosés, they are distinguished by their capacity to evolve and improve, the excellent aromatic definition leads to a perception of a fine freshness and balanced acidity. Analysed independently, the rosé wines have furthered the trend of opening up their colour towards lighter hints with a predominance of floral aromas. The whites, on the other hand, continue to impress while achieving a unique identification and personality.

 

In the words of Fernando Ezquerro, the President of the Control Board, “the results obtained in the 2021 harvest vintage highlight the excellent work carried out by the vine growers and winery owners of the Designation and extol the uniqueness, the diversity and the highest standards and requirements that determine the distinctive character of Rioja in the market”.