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Harvest 2018

The Plenary Session of the Regulatory Board of the Rioja Qualified Denomination of Origin grants the official assessment of ‘GOOD’ to a 2018 harvest marked by uncertainty.

 

From the technical services stand out, above all, the great quality of white wines.

 

The high level of demand to obtain the qualification keeps Rioja as a benchmark for the highest quality after tasting more than 5,245 samples.

 

The Regulatory Board of the DOCa Rioja awarded the official valuation of ‘GOOD’ to the 2018 harvest which, after an adequate progress along the end of the vegetative cycle, has ended up leaving satisfactory results highlighting the great work done in the winery as a continuation of the effort made in the vineyard to maintain the salubrity of the grape.

 

The year was marked by meteorological phenomena of little transcendence at a general level, as well as by an uncertainty caused by the continuous threats of mildew.

 

This assessment of ‘GOOD’ is the conclusion of a rigorous and transparent qualification procedure consisting in the analysis and tasting of the totality elaborated wines that are going to be released to the market.

 

The evaluation starts from the fermentation tanks where the Board technicians have collected more than 5,245 samples that have subsequently been tasted by 150 professionals.

 

In total, 332.64 million liters of the 2018 harvest have obtained the right to be certificated as wines protected by the DOCa Rioja (28.94 white, 16.37 pink and 287.33 red).

 

The objective is “to certify the quality of the same, reflecting in a faithful way what the harvest has been,” says Pablo Franco, director of the Control Body of the Regulatory Board.

 

The requirements to pass the qualification exam have been raised in recent years, incorporating more demanding parameters, with the goal that Rioja continues being a key reference for quality wines.

 

Among the characteristics that define the average profile of the wines of the 2018 harvest, whose average graduation is slightly lower than what it was in previous years, it is worth highlighting the fineness of the reds, with intense and vivid colors, as well as a harmony in the mouth.

 

On the other hand, the Plenary of the Regulatory Board has underlined the great quality of white wines and, especially, the character and personality of the autochthonous Rioja varieties, offering wines with great aromatic intensity and good structure in the mouth.

Official vintage rating: Good

Qualified wine: 332,64 million litres
Red: 287,33 million litres
White: 28,94 million litres
Rosé: 16,37 million litres