Monte Real de Familia Reserva 2020
92
Guía Proensa
The most select version of a legendary brand
Médaille d'Or
Berliner Wein Trophy
Bodegas Riojanas belongs to a very exclusive and special club: that of the wineries that have been around for more than a century. It’s a firm that’s still family run and produces wines that enjoy international renown, such as Monte Real, a label created back in 1930. Monte Real de Familia Reserva 2020 (an Excellent vintage) reflects the essence of the best Tempranillo grapes in the Cenicero district in Rioja Alta.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
100% Tempranillo
Type of barrel
French and American oak barrels.
Type of bottle
Burgundy
Barrel aging time
24 months
Capacity (cl)
75
General Information
Monte Real came out back in the 1930s and has the honour of being one of the longest-standing Spanish wine labels. The wines sold under this legendary brand are made solely from Tempranillo grapes grown on dry-farmed old vines (40 years) cultivated in the heart of the Cenicero area (Rioja Alta), specifically in the place called El Monte, where organic and sustainable grape growing is practised. Monte Real de la Familia Reserva 2020 comes from plots that lie at an altitude of between 430 and 530 metres close to the river Ebro, where the vines are exposed to a wide range of temperatures and abundant light.
Shallow calcareous-clay soils with a pebbly surface are conducive to good draining, producing Tempranillo grapes with excellent properties. They were picked by hand and thoroughly selected by plots, following by sorting when the bunches were harvested. After undergoing a classical process, this red was transferred to barrels where it was aged for 24 months in French and American oak, followed by at least 12 months in the bottle to round it off.
Bodegas Riojanas is one of the most traditional and long-established Spanish wineries, which was founded by the Artacho family together with Rafael Carreras, back in 1890. Originally established in Cenicero, in Rioja Alta, it has undergone eight modernisations over its more than 125 years of existence, including the construction of new facilities in San Vicente de la Sonsierra. The 300 hectares of vineyards controlled by Bodegas Riojanas are distributed throughout the districts of Cenicero, San Vicente de la Sonsierra and other neighbouring municipalities.
Monte Real de Familia Reserva 2020 (D.O.Ca. Rioja) is ideal with stewed lentils or chickpea stew with tripe.
Creators' opinion
Vino tinto puro y sobrio, además de misterioso. Su singular acorde de regaliz se convirtió en el sello distintivo de Monte Real Reserva de Familia y evolucionó posteriormente en una versión más pura de la Tempranillo, para rendir homenaje a la inspiración de los fundadores de Bodegas Riojanas. Color rojo picota con sutiles ribetes granates. En nariz, la superposición de las notas del corazón a frutas bien maduras, fresa y regaliz se ensamblan con las notas de fondo de la madera. Su paso en boca es fresco, su energía es tanto cerebral, como emocional, sin ser abrumadora, sino sutil. Es una declaración profunda sobre la tipicidad de la Tempranillo. Amable y sabroso, envuelve con sus taninos maduros muy pulidos. Su final largo y longevo os va a trasladar a cualquier momento especial, demostrando que el poder de las emociones existe.
The winery
Bodegas Riojanas is one of the great centenary wineries of Rioja, founded in 1890 in Cenicero by two families with a winemaking tradition: the Frías and the Artacho families. Today, Bodegas Riojanas continues to be led by the descendants of the founding families, with Santiago Frías at the helm. The five generations that have steered this illustrious winery have consolidated and perpetuated its prestige, based on two historic brands: Viña Albina, a label born at the dawn of the 20th century; and Monte Real, created in the 1930s with grapes from a vineyard in Cenicero by the French winemaker Gabriel Larrendat.
Bodegas Riojanas was one of the wineries that participated in the creation of the Rioja Denomination of Origin in 1925, and from the 1930s onwards, it forged its reputation as a master in the art of aging wines. It has more than 600 hectares of vineyards—both owned and controlled—in the heart of Rioja Alta, between the areas of Cenicero and San Vicente de la Sonsierra, divided into more than 1,600 plots of clay-limestone soils. The tempranillo grape is the main protagonist, although there is also a significant extension of mazuelo and graciano, varieties that are ideal for complementing blends.
Over time, Bodegas Riojanas has diversified its activities, launching new projects in other denominations of origin: Toro (Bodegas Torreduero), Bierzo, Rueda and Ribera del Duero (Bodegas Viore), Rías Baixas (Veiga Naum), Cava (Cum Laude), and Monterrei (Bodegas Gargalo). It also markets the Alacer brand. Bodegas Riojanas is one of the few Spanish wineries listed on the stock exchange.