Crianza?....Marques de Caceres.

snipped-for-privacy@btl.net (Belize) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:

I'm sure someone will be along shortly to give a better answer, but Rioja (a wine-producing area of Spain, and what Marques de Caceres (mostly?) produce) is divided into 4 main 'types' for the red, at least. The 'types' depend on how long they are aged for, either in barrel or bottle, before release.

They are (from 'youngest' to 'oldest')

Joven - the young wine of Rioja, usually with no cask aging. Crianza aged 2 years, of which one must be in oak casks Reserva aged 3 years, of which one must be in oak casks Gran Reserva 2 years in cask plus 3 in bottle.

Be careful, though - just because it's Spanish doesn't mean it's Rioja, and other areas have different rules about what the names mean. For example, in Valdepenas the Gran Reserva is, I think, 3.5 years - apparently due to the reduced acidity of the wines.

Steve's answer has the basic answer as to what Crianza is. As to usage, I don't think there's any formal rule, but if I name a Rioja from a big house that makes a full-line and don't say Reserva or Gran Reserva, you can pretty much bet it's a Crianza. If I saw "Marques de Caceres Rioja" in an ad, I'd be pretty sure it was the Crianza. Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

snipped-for-privacy@aol.comdamnspam (Dale Williams) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m13.aol.com:

Sorry, I forgot to answer that second bit ... But yes, I agree with Dale - I would _assume_ that it was the Crianza (if I saw it on a wine list, etc.) It is not all that common to see the Joven wines around.

I wouldn't say one is 'correct' or not, but depends on what the speaker / writer is trying to convey. Rather like Champagnes - if somebody says "A bottle of Lanson, please" you assume they mean the Lanson NV Black Label.

When my wife and I vacationed in Mallorica about 6 years ago....we had fantastic Rioja's. But we lost the names and about the only ones we see here are the Faustina wines.

snipped-for-privacy@btl.net

Thanks for the reply Dale.

But who and what was Steve's answer? Since he obviously answers what a crianza is.

Richard

snipped-for-privacy@btl.net (Belize) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:

That'll be me!

As I wrote;

I'm sure someone will be along shortly to give a better answer, but Rioja (a wine-producing area of Spain, and what Marques de Caceres (mostly?) produce) is divided into 4 main 'types' for the red, at least. The 'types' depend on how long they are aged for, either in barrel or bottle, before release.

They are (from 'youngest' to 'oldest')

Joven - the young wine of Rioja, usually with no cask aging. Crianza aged 2 years, of which one must be in oak casks Reserva aged 3 years, of which one must be in oak casks Gran Reserva 2 years in cask plus 3 in bottle.

Be careful, though - just because it's Spanish doesn't mean it's Rioja, and other areas have different rules about what the names mean. For example, in Valdepenas the Gran Reserva is, I think, 3.5 years - apparently due to the reduced acidity of the wines.

Hillebrand,

I think we have a slight misunderstanding. I'm the one that posted "As to usage, I don'tthink there's any formal rule, but if I name a Rioja from a big house that makes a full-line and don't say Reserva or Gran Reserva, you can pretty much bet it's a Crianza. If I saw "Marques de Caceres Rioja" in an ad, I'd be pretty sure it was the Crianza."

I'm not saying that the wine doesn't say Crianza on label. I referring to spoken Winegeek. :) Just as I assume if one says "97 Mondavi Cabernet" that they mean the Napa bottling, not the Private Reserve or Oakville, I assume if someone says Viticcio Chianti Classico they don't mean the CCR. So if I hear Marques de Caceres Rioja with no qualifer, I'm assuming it's the Crianza until told differently. Obviously many folks here are better critical thinkers here than I, and would not make such willy-nilly assumptions. :-)

Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

Right. I got the meaning. Sorry about the misunderstanding.

Regards,

Hillebrand.

Veen"