Imaz is one of the best estates in Rioja Oriental, a privileged vineyard that's home to some of the best red wines in the area. It's the birthplace of Rioja Vega Reserva 2018, one of the top wines made by the firm with the same name, a historic winery now in its 141st year of existence. Notes of ripe fruit stand out on the nose, and the palate is silky and balanced with a hint of sweetness and good structure. Winner of a gold medal at the Mundus Vini competition and at The Global Rioja Masters (The Drinks Business).
Consumption features
Serving temperature
Consumption time
General features
Type of wine
Region
Type of barrel
American (95%) and French (5%) oak barrels
Type of bottle
Bordeaux
Barrel aging time
24 months
Capacity (cl)
75
General Information
Rioja Vega is located in the municipality of Viana (Navarra), barely 10 km from Logroño, in the spot known as ‘La Venta del Jalón’. The winery is built in the style of a château, surrounded by 70 hectares of vineyards in a privileged terroir with poor soils and an Atlantic climate that lends its wines a distinctive character. Rioja Vega Reserva 2018 (Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo) combines vines over 50 years old located on the slopes of the Sierra Cantabria with others aged 15 years that grown on the estate's fertile plains.
The different grape varieties were vinified separately, with alcoholic fermentation lasting 10 days and maceration with the skins for 15 days. Malolactic fermentation then took place in stainless steel tanks. The wine was aged for 24 months in oak barrels (95% American and 5% French) and further matured for at least 12 months in the bottle.
Founded in 1882 by Felipe Ugalde and with 140 years of experience under its belt, Bodegas Rioja Vega is one of the pioneering producers of quality red wines in Spain’s most important Denominación de Origen. In fact, the very remote origins of this firm, even before the creation of the D.O., have allowed it to preserve the word Rioja in its brand – something that very few Spanish firms can boast.
Rioja Vega Reserva 2018 (D.O.Ca. Rioja) is ideal with sirloin steak with pepper sauce and sautéed potatoes.
Creators' opinion
Deep cherry-red colour, clear and bright. Intense aromas of very ripe fruit together with hints of toast, toffee and vanilla. Balanced on the palate with a hint of sweetness and very good tannic structure, velvety and very well balanced.
The winery
Founded in 1882, Rioja Vega is one of the oldest and most historic wineries in our country. After a series of business ups and downs throughout the 20th century including a name change-, the company was acquired by the Grupo Príncipe de Viana and definitively entered modernity. Today, their wines are a faithful reflection of Rioja's winemaking tradition, and their prestige grows in proportion to the quality of their wines.
Rioja Vega has 70 hectares of vineyards where, on clay-limestone soils poor in organic matter, nutrients, and mineral salts, they cultivate garnacha, tempranillo, and graciano. The facilities -located in the Navarrese town of Viana, 10 kilometers from Logroño- have been progressively expanded and are equipped with the latest technology dedicated to producing quality wines.