Deep ruby color; blackberry, dark cherry, plum, cassis, mocha, vanilla, tobacco, eucalyptus, earth, leather on the nose and palate.
Dry; silky, firm tannins; moderate acidity; greatly benefits from decanting. Medium-plus body. Mostly tempranillo with small assist from graciano. Maceration in stainless steel for 21-30 days. Aged in French and American oak for 24-plus months, then aged in bottle for 36-plus months. Aromatics evolve nicely with decanting and in glass. Complexity and layers evolve in same manner as the aromatics. Sustained finish. Impressive wine; classic reflection of Rioja. At nine years, just moving into its prime drinking period. 14% ABV
El Coto is large production operation of value wines, a combination of a dozen small wineries, owned by the same organization but each assigned a single task. El Coto focuses exclusively on barrel-aged crianza (a Spanish classification, wines must spend at least two years in oak). Others elements of the enterprise specialize in other Spanish grapes and winemaking techniques. This effort is El Coto de Rioja’s top shelf effort.
Bodega El Coto de Rioja traces its beginning to 1970s and the first harvest. The first winery opened in 1976, and a management team of owner Eduardo Santos-Ruiz, winemaker Pedro Guasch, and business and finance leaders Julian Díez and Julio Noain joined forces. By 1990, El Coto was firmly established as an international brand.
International business led to expansion of the winery in 1995. By 2000, El Coto was the leading brand in crianza and reserva red wines in Rioja. By 2004, El Coto was the largest winery in Rioja. In 2010, they began planting white grapes on the highest vineyard in Rioja. In 2014, the company built a winery to focus on white wine. That reflects the El Coto de Rioja philosophy—the enterprise is a composite of 12 independent wineries, each of which specializes in a single task. The website notes: “Where everything is planned, where everything fits together.”
El Coto de Rioja labels feature deer and the winery. The website notes: “The basis of our new labels is a natural vignette with iconic elements for El Coto de Rioja. The engraving includes the deer that receives visitors at the entrance to the winery or the Monastery of Imaz, emblematic and historical elements that now also form part of our presentations.”
El Coto de Rioja labels feature deer and the winery. The website notes: “The basis of our new labels is a natural vignette with iconic elements for El Coto de Rioja. The engraving includes the deer that receives visitors at the entrance to the winery or the Monastery of Imaz, emblematic and historical elements that now also form part of our presentations.”
El Coto de Rioja “Coto de Imaz” Gran Reserva, Rioja, Spain 2016 is textbook Rioja with impressive depth and length. Gets more impressive as it evolves. Decant, also give it swirling time in glass to develop the aromatics and complexity. Superb effort by the major player in Rioja. Pair with hearty meat dishes; roasted lamb; grilled or roasted beef, ribeye, prime rib, strip steak, chuck eye; wild game—venison, wild boar, duck; slow-cooked beef stews and casseroles. What grows together goes togethr—Spanish cuisine, paella with meat; chorizo and other spicy Spanish sausage; jamón and other cured meats. Rich pasta dishes with tomato-based sauces. Cheese—aged manchego, aged cheddar, aged gouda, parmigiano-reggiano, gruyère, comté, asiago, stilton. $35-40
El Coto website; well done and informative
