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March/June 2012
In this issue
ARAEX & SFW launches new brand of sparkling wines
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Araex expands its portfolio with Cava Villa Conchi 4 Harvest Report 2011
This New Year 2012 means for us the launch of new projects, which we have developed under the name THE GRAND WINES.
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New labels for Val de Vid, Luis Cañas and Pazo de Señorans
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Vineyard surface in Spain by varieties • Top 30
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Red Rioja wine exports by country in 2011
To the range of wineries integrated in ARAEX & SPANISH FINE WINES, we add two new projects: R&G and VILLA CONCHI. R&G is the name of the initiative led by Michel Rolland, in partnership with ARAEX & SFW, to make quality wines in three Denominations of Origin: RIOJA (ALAVESA), RIBERA DEL DUERO and RUEDA. The project started in 2010 and will be in the market in June 2012. After all our efforts to make it a reality, we are very excited about this first brand of the ARAEX & SFW Group.
10 Spanish Fine Wines launches new range of wines
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Araex wines shine on Decanter magazine Rioja 2007 tasting
VILLA CONCHI is the brand that incorporates a wide selection of sparkling wines from the D.O. CAVA, such
as Brut Selección, Brut Reserva, Brut Reserva Imperial and Brut Rosé. At the request of our clients, we will launch this new range of sparkling wines for the first time, which complements the ARAEX portfolio of still wines available since 1993. Finally, I would like to add that in 2011 ARAEX represented 21% of the total Rioja Alavesa wine exports, a historical record to date. We hope to keep counting on your support and cooperation.
Araex expands its portfolio with Cava Villa Conchi In our quest to offer a wider and better service to our customers, Araex has expanded its range of wines in its portfolio to include a cava that matches the singular quality of the wines in the Araex and Spanish Fine Wines portfolio since 1993.
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The new brand, called Villa Conchi, includes two cavas with an attractive and modern presentation: a Brut Selecci贸n and a premium Brut Reserva. The grapes used to make both cavas are located at an average altitude of 250 metres above sea level in the Baix Penedes, in Catalonia, where about 95% of all Spanish cava is produced.
We hope you like the new cava. If you would like to know more about these wines, get in touch with our sales team and they will be very happy to help you.
Cava Villa Conchi Brut Selecci贸n
Cava Villa Conchi Brut Reserva
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Harvest Report 2011 OUR D.O. IN NUMBERS Area
Surface (Ha)
Total Production kg (2011)
Prod. change over 2010 (%)
D.O.Ca. Rioja
62,125
383,030,000
+3.34
D.O. Rias Baixas
3,966
41,787,783
+31.87
D.O. Toro
5,675
19,086,305
+15.19
D.O. Rueda
12,590
74,890,428
-2.18
D.O. Ribera del Duero 21,381
96,647,494
+35.84
D.O. Navarra
11,758
71,849,000
-16
169,900
136,500,000*
-3.43
D.O. La Mancha *Estimated production in litres.
RIOJA ALTOS DE RIOJA, BAIGORRI, LABASTIDA, LAR DE PAULA, LUIS CAÑAS, AMAREN Production this year was lower due to the lack of rain and the high temperatures that continued at the end of the vegetative cycle, which also induced the start of the harvest to mid-September. The dry weather required a more exhaustive care of the vineyard, but also meant that grape health was excellent, with very low incidence of diseases. The intensity of the wines is medium-high, with complex aromas of ripe fruit. The resulting wines are expected to be well structured, with good colour, longevity and top quality.
As a result, the harvest started on September 8, eight days earlier than in the previous year. Regardless of an earlier harvest date, the ripening period was slow and long –as it should be for Albariño grapes– with large differences between day and night time temperatures, which enhanced varietal aromas. The sanitary condition of the grapes was good, as well as the acidity. Alcohol levels dropped almost one degree from the previous year to 12.5% resulting in spicy primary aromas. We expect wines from this vintage to be excellent, with balanced acidity and plenty of fruit character.
RIAS BAIXAS
TORO
PAZO DE SEÑORANS. The 2011 harvest was abundant -30% more than 2010- and quality was very good. The weather was more irregular: we had plenty of rainfall in the winter, a very warm spring and a mixed summer, with cool weather in June-July and a very hot, dry August and September.
SOBREÑO. Lack of rain marked the 2011 harvest in Toro, with 324 mm of rainfall compared to the 350-400mm average. Mild temperatures in June, July and part of August combined with the scarce rainfall have resulted in healthy grapes with balanced and
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elegant ripening levels and great complexity. Harvest began on September 16 and lasted two weeks. We picked around 600,000 kg of Tempranillo grapes which are full of polyphenols and tannins that will result in wines with plenty of colour, good structure, great aromatic complexity and alcohol levels of 14.5%. We expect these wines to be suitable for prolonged aging.
RUEDA VAL DE VID. The 2011 harvest in Val de Vid took place between September 1226 and produced 500,000 kg of Verdejo and Viura grapes - a little lower than last year. This was due to the irregular weather throughout the year, with a rainy winter, a dry spring and a very hot and dry summer. Despite this, the sanitary condition of the grapes was very good with an excellent ripening thanks to the high temperatures at the end of August and early September.
We harvested mostly at night to ensure that the grapes were picked at cooler hours and reached the winery in optimum conditions. Alcohol levels are around 13% with intense fruit aromas, especially white flowers and tropical notes.
RIBERA DEL DUERO VALTRAVIESO. The weather was mild this year, with a cold winter, enough rainfall to feed the reserves and a mild spring with rain in the first half and an absence of frost with dry weather towards the months of May and June. Summer was irregular, stormy and with high differences in temperatures that ranged from 5ºC at night to 27ºC during the day. As our vineyard is at 915m above sea level, the weather help delay and extend the phenolic ripening, giving more balance to the grapes. Harvest started with the Merlot variety at the end of September and finished at the end of October with the Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes, which showed optimum sanitary conditions, were harvested by hand in 15kg boxes.
We picked 386,000 kg in our 86 Ha which represents 4,500 kg/Ha, well below the maximum allowed by the DO Ribera del Duero (7,000 kg/Ha). Our wines this vintage have great balance, aromatic and polyphenolic concentration, excellent acidity, sweet tannins and plenty of fruit. We can say that 2011 was an excellent harvest at Valtravieso.
As a result, white varieties show less aromatic intensity than in previous harvests, low acidity and good structure while alcohol levels are slightly higher. Red varieties present a good tannic structure, good concentration, low acidity and ripe fruit aromas (plums, prunes, dried fruit).
NAVARRA LA MANCHA MUÑOZ. This year’s harvest started on August 18 and finished on October 12. The crop at Bodegas Muñoz was 10% larger than last year. We had to buy extra grapes to compensate for a 20% drop in production brought by hailstorms in May, a spot of mildew after a very rainy spring, and low initial flowering levels. The second half of the summer was marked by unusually high temperatures, which continued throughout the harvest and accelerated the ripening process in both white and red varieties.
PAGO DE CIRSUS. The harvest started at Pago de Cirsus on August 26. The first variety to be picked was the Sauvignon Blanc, followed by the Chardonnay. Both varieties, as well as the Tempranillo, Syrah and Merlot that were harvested later, were in excellent sanitary conditions. Winter was irregular with a very cold January and a warm rainy February and March. The warm weather continued in April and May, which brought forward the flowering. Grapes ripened at an optimum rate due to the lack of rain in the harvesting months. Wines are expected to be of high colour intensity and excellent quality.
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New labels for Val de Vid, Luis Cañas and Pazo de Señorans Bodegas Val de Vid, in the DO Rueda, has just released new labels for its Val de Vid and Eylo ranges. They are streamlined versions of the former labels, which maintain the silhouette of Condesa Eylo, a countess who lived in the Valladolid area in medieval times. Another bottle that sees a change is the
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award winning Albariño Pazo Señorans Selección de Añada. The renewed label maintains the watercolour but adds a modern touch with new fonts and sharper colours.
image for its Luis Cañas Blanco Fermentado en Barrica, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva. The change is considerable, with new labels and capsules and new colours and papers.
Meanwhile, Bodegas Luis Cañas from DOCa Rioja, has also launched a new
This is what they all look like. Let us know what you think!
Luis Ca単as Rioja
Val de Vid Verdejo Rueda Eylo Rueda Condesa Eylo Rueda Pazo Se単orans Selecci坦n de A単ada
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Vineyard surface in Spain by varieties • Top 30 Although Spain is known for its red wines made with Tempranillo, the most planted grape across the country is Airén, a white variety found mostly
in La Mancha, where two thirds of all the grapes grown in Spain come from. Tempranillo comes second, followed by other native varieties such as Bobal,
Garnacha and Monastrell although the introduction of foreign varieties is gradually turning the tables, with an exponential growth in the last decade.
Variety Colour Hectares % of Total Airén White 239,400 23.50 Tempranillo Red 212,443 20.86 Bobal Red 76,138 7.47 Garnacha Tinta Red 66,963 6.57 Monastrell Red 53,427 5.24 Macabeo (Viura) White 35,002 3.44 Pardina White 27,566 2.71 Garnacha Tintorera Red 20,010 1.96 Cabernet Sauvignon Red 21,646 2.12 Syrah Red 19,615 1.93 Palomino Fino White 2,626 0.26 Merlot Red 13,362 1.31 Blend - 11,235 1.10 Blanca Cayetana White 11,705 1.15 Verdejo Blanco White 16,985 1.67 Moscatel Alejandría White 9,840 0.97 Pedro Ximénez White 8,471 0.83 Listán Blanco White 9,312 0.91 Mencía Red 8,789 0.86 Parellada White 7,829 0.77 Xarello Blanco White 8,412 0.83 Chelva Red 5,040 0.49 Tinta de Toro Red * 0.0 Malvasía White 4,951 0.49 Mazuelo /Cariñena Red 6,284 0.62 Chardonnay White 6,180 0.61 Albariño White 5,523 0.54 Prieto Picudo Red 4,583 0.45 Zalema White 4,395 0.43 Jaén Blanco White 3,750 0.37 *Tinta de Toro is classified under Tempranillo since 2010. Data for 2010
Varieties White Red Other TOTAL
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Hectares 443,264 530,506 44,885 1,018,655
% of Total 43.51 52.08 4.41 100
Variation % 2010 - 2000 -15.9 -83.3 -8.1 -13.2 -2.9 4.5 -39.0 195.1 252.2 n/a -30.5 273.4 -70.5 10.3 111.0 18.0 -13.8 -3.2 -20.1 -15.6 -12.8 -30.1 37.8 -20.6 -35.2 181.4 20.9 -34.1 -20.6 202.7
Red Rioja wine exports by country in 2011 Fifteen countries around the world concentrate 91% of consumption of Rioja red wine, with an annual turnover of 314.8 million euros. United King-
dom, Germany and the US top the consumption chart, with over 57% of the total. In terms of turnover, the largest proportion of Rioja wine sold is Reser-
va, with 134,991,902 million euros, followed by young wines (99,580,082 million euros) and Crianza (96,665,637 million euros).
Country
Hectolitres
Turnover E
Average Price E
% of Total
1. United Kingdom 2. Germany 3. United States 4. Switzerland 5. Sweden 6. The Netherlands 7. Mexico 8. Canada 9. China 10. Ireland 11. Belgium 12. Norway 13. Denmark 14. France 15. Austria
284,716.40 151,755.94 77,048.64 63,226.89 26,144.32 28,623.79 17,243.76 14,192.27 16,378.43 18,972.19 18.205,19 12,658.57 12,085.71 13,581.40 10,249.53
102,238,201.44 57,490,884.47 37,285,981.4 30,549,286.4 11,540,015.53 10,026,345.74 9,389,001.86 9,010,026.02 8,709,992.31 8,369,202.53 8,233,574.27 7,099,968.17 5,890,291.07 5,007,725.51 4,012,530.86
3.59 3.79 4.84 4.83 4.41 3.50 5,44 6,35 5,32 4,41 4,52 5,61 4,87 3,69 3,91
29.66% 16.68% 10.82% 8.86% 3.35% 2.91% 2.72% 2.61% 2.53% 2.43% 2.39% 2.06% 1.71% 1.45% 1.16%
TOTAL TOP 15
765,083.03
314,853,027.58
4.12
91%
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Spanish Fine Wines launches new range of wines The ARAEX and Spanish Fine Wines team has created an attractive, approachable and modern family of wines crafted to give pleasure to any wine lover. Domus de Veleia translates 20 years of passion into wines that offer the best Tempranillo and other leading Spanish grape varieties. By sharing the know-how of 12 wineries within 7 of the most important Spanish wine regions, Domus de Veleia encompasses the best of the Iberian Peninsula. The vineyards of Domus de Veleia are located to the southeast of Madrid around the village of Noblejas. At an altitude of over 737 meters
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above the sea level, this region is considered cooler than the rest of Central Spain, which allows us to produce fresher wines. And part of our vineyards has the distinction of being one the oldest plantings of Tempranillo and Garnacha in the region. The Domus de Veleia range has a common base: at least 70% of the blends are made with Spanish grape varieties. Domus de Veleia “Clasicos” represents the most famous Spanish grape varieties. The wines show the expression of soil and climate, with intense aromas emanating from the fruit, showing elegance and concentration and fresh, well-balanced flavours.
Domus de Veleia “Edición especial” range aims to express the typical character of Spain’s most outstanding grape variety: Tempranillo. Elegance and vibrancy are the essence of these wines. Domus de Veleia “Gran Colección” is a homage to the diversity of Spanish grape varieties and terroirs. Our winemaker uses selective blending and an abundance of passion to produce premium wines. Both softness and intensity are perfectly achieved, while demonstrating the full potential of the Domus the Veleia wines.
Entry Level Domus de Veleia “Clasicos”
Barrel Aged Domus de Veleia “Edición especial”
Premium Domus de Veleia “Gran Colección”
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Araex wines shine on Decanter magazine Rioja 2007 tasting Six wines in the Araex portfolio were given three and four stars in the Rioja 2007 Decanter Panel Tasting, showing that the quality across the range of our Rioja Alavesa wines and wineries is consistent and steady. Rated “very good” by the Denomination of Origin Rioja, the 2007 vintage is, according to Decanter magazine, emerging from the shadow of the “excellent” 2005. Baigorri de Garage, the signature wine of Samaniego-based Bodegas Baigorri, obtained four stars. The panel highlighted its aromas “of really dark, concentrated bramble fruit, spicy oak, mint, high toast and cedar”, along with “rich syrupy fruit with big
ARAEX - Rioja Alavesa, S.L. araex@araex.com www.araex.com Spanish Fine Wines, S.L. sfw@sfw.es www.sfw.es Ramón y Cajal 7, 1ºA. 01007 VITORIA - SPAIN Tel (+34) 945 150 589 (+34) 945 150 588 Fax (+34) 945 158 283
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spice and tannins under control”. The seven panel judges, including Sarah Jane Evans MW, Pierre Mansour from the The Wine Society and Rioja expert John Radford, described this 100% Tempranillo as “expressive, layered and really appealing” adding that it will be “fabulous”. At Bodegas Baigorri, gravity is the driving force in the winemaking process, completely avoiding the use of pumps. Built 32 metres underground, the winery is one of the landmark buildings in Rioja Alavesa.
za: “Deep and complex with plump fruit, huge tannins and fresh acidity”; Angeles de Amaren: “Generous and typical cherry jam flavours”; Lar de Paula Crianza: “clean fruit, hints of chocolate on the mid-palate and good structure”; Solagüen Crianza: “Mouthfilling fruit” and Altos de La Guardia Crianza: “Balanced fruit, tannin and acidity”.
Rated the “best vintage between 2005 and 2010”, the judges praised the terroir in some of the wines: “Many Alavesa wines showed class, style and charm”, according to Mansour. Mike Five more wines in the Araex portfo- Ritchie MW agreed, finding “lively arolio obtained three stars in this panel. matics and minerality” in the wines of They were Castillo Labastida Crian- this sub-region of the DOCa Rioja.