Bodegas Urbina Reserva Especial 2006

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

About Bodegas Urbina

Urbina make ‘classically styled’ Rioja, Gran Reservas and the like, from their own vines and are a village-specific producer, with their best wines all from the cold limestone sand soils of Cuzcurrita del Rio Tiron, west of Haro in the Ojo-Tiron Valley under Montes Obarenes.

5 generations of Urbinas have managed this property since the 1870s.

Urbina have 75 hectares across 34 plots in Cuzcurrita (there are also some holdings in Uruñuela but these don’t go into the top wines). They make 300K bottles,cropping around 4.5 t/ha and export 80%. A new bodega with lots of sparkling inox was installed in 1986, replacing a relatively rustic installation. A starter of own vineyard yeast is put in motion at the commencement of the harvest and is then used to inoculate for controlled natural fermentation startups. Fermentation is in stainless, followed by ageing in mixed French/US oak with occasional racking in barriques aged from new to 7 years. The wines are Tempranillo with some Mazuelo and Graciano.

Urbina wines have an incredibly distinct style.

They are gamey, elegant, spare, red berry wines of great longevity. All are free-flowing and delicate, with fine, uncluttered lines. The fruit is in a juniper and red current spectrum laced with red thyme and a trace of sweet spice. Nestled in the acid line is an old, well-used teapot, smoked tin or the tang of a rainwater tank. Balsam smells of tobacco, herb, tea leaf and autumn forest (twigs, briars, wet earth and dried leaves) are scattered through developed red fruits which retain great freshness and a plushness.

In the Vineyard

Working only with grapes from their own vineyards, carrying out respectful viticulture, with organic fertilizers, maintaining the richness and structure of the soil, contributing to the fruit the essence that characterizes Urbina wines. The cultivation is done in goblet and cordon, without forcing production with yields between 5,000 and 6,500 Kgrs./Ha, following traditional practices and limiting the use of pesticides and fungicides.

In the Winery

During production, native yeasts are used that give the wine a unique personality, the complexity of Bodegas Urbina.

The 2006 Vintage at Bodegas Urbina

Where in the World is Bodegas Urbina?

Bodegas Urbina is in Rioja Alta. Rioja and it’s three current subzones Alta, Alavesa and Baja achieve no meaningful distinction between vineyards and wines. The area is vast with over 60,000Ha of vines planted. As Scott Wasley puts it, it’s the equivalent of using South East Australia to classify the wines NSW, Victora, SA and Tasmania. In the flyover below at the 20sec mark you’ll see a high level geological map of general soil types, it’s clear they run perpendicular to the general sub-region orientation along a number of rivers, valleys and sub-plains. The fact that I’ve mentioned both the split in soil types, and, significant geological changes if enough for any vigneron worth their salt to call for a more detailed differentiation between key viticultural areas of Rioja. Politics, corruption and a bias toward bland mass-produced wines the adversaries of progress on mapping the region. Without more appropriate classification of vineyards we have to rely on the reputation of quality producer and their track record in the glass. Perhaps not a bad thing for an individual wine. Not great for the reputation of a region as a whole.

Although not an official classification the map below would be a start to delineating between different areas of Rioja based on the Valleys within it. You can clearly see the rivers running through each of the valleys.

General in nature the soil map below offers some guidance on the geology of Rioja.