Would you like to have my tasting notes readily on hand for your own personal tasting of this wine, either to develop your own palate and/or share information with friends you are hosting and serving this wine to? If so, click below!

I feel as if everyone who drinks wine has at one point or another had a wine from Rioja that they have enjoyed.

And why not? Wines from Rioja, Spain - which are Tempranillo dominant - are usually structured and good with food. Often, they have been aged well before being released to consumers and they can be very well priced.

(N.B. - In Spain, and the Rioja appellation more specifically, there are quite lengthy and very specific aging requirements for wine. This does not mean that all wines have been aged however - though one can generally expect a red wine from Spain to have been barrel and/or bottle aged for a period before it appears on retailer shelves).

Having said that, not all wines from Rioja are created equal. The producer, the location, the blend in the bottle and the length of time the wine has been aged can make a huge difference in the style of wine that you get. With that, let’s dive into this particular example!

Bodegas Luis Canas is considered to be one of the longest enduring family-run wineries in the Rioja Alavesa sub-region of the larger Rioja appellation. Originally founded in the mid-1900s, the family first made bulk wines for wine merchants. Then, in 1970, Luis Canas decided to bottle his own wines and sell them under his own name. Since then, the producer has moved from strength to strength and today, they are a well established name in the region, dedicated to quality and sustainable viticulture and wine-making practices. It is worth noting that the Bodegas Luis Canas winery and vineyards are located very close to the Atlantic Ocean, however they are sheltered from the worst of the maritime climate by the Cantabrian mountains, which form the backdrop for their land and their work.

The 2017 Luis Canas Rioja Crianza is one of the entry-level wines in this producer’s portfolio. Let’s break this wine down a bit before I spill the tea on the tasting notes! This wine is made from a blend of 95% Tempranillo and 5% Graciano, from fruit that is sourced from vines that have an average age of 30 years old and are located at an altitude of 450-600m above sea level, in poor, loamy clay and clay soils. The term “crianza” is an aging term - this wine has been matured for 12 months in barrel and further time in bottle before being released. Maturation occurred in 60% French and 40% American oak, in barrels that were three years old. As a result, there are definitely notes and structural elements in this wine that are associated with oak barrels, but they are are not overpowering vis-a-vis the fruit.

My Tasting Notes

This wine displays ample red fruit notes - think strawberries, raspberries, plum - ripe acidity, firm tannins, tobacco and cedar notes. It has a lovely soft bouquet and a generous, relatively smooth palate. The finish is long and satisfying. A food wine for sure and also a really solid value at under $20.

Wine it up a notch by pairing this wine with cured meat, salty aged cheese and spicy or cumin dominant curries!

Cheers, Friends!