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Rioja declares 2019 ‘the’ vintage

Published:  25 October, 2019

Rioja has declared 2019 'the' vintage and, as reported across several European wine regions, one of lower yield but “maximum quality”.

The Consejo Regulador de Rioja DOCa said that despite complex weather conditions, the harvest had “all the hallmarks of an extremely high quality vintage", dubbed by some at the Consejo as ‘the vintage’ for the region.

The main observation made as the 2019 harvest in Rioja draws to a close, was that the 2019 vintage was a year with “less vigour in the vineyard”, said Pablo Franco, director of the Control Chamber of the Denomination.

“This has resulted in a lower yield, characterised by less tightly packed clusters and smaller grapes - all key components in guaranteeing maximum quality,” he said.

This combination of factors, together with the “outstanding” overall health of the vines, made possible by the extraordinary weather conditions throughout the harvest and especially throughout October, would make this a “unique vintage”, he added.

“Although it is still early to look at the results, we have high hopes that this vintage will be recorded as a memorable year in the history of Rioja wine.”

The Consejo Regulador de Rioja DOCa said: “The first rackings reveal a notable structure, typical of the most traditional wines from Rioja - their good structure, along with an excellent aromatic definition, leads us to believe that these will be wines with great ageing potential.

“There is no doubt, from what’s been seen in the vineyards and from what the results of the first rackings are revealing, that 2019 could be ‘the vintage’ - a year that reflects the skills of both growers and producers in managing the weather conditions.”

The harvest saw approximately 385 million kg of grapes harvested - 187 million from Rioja Alta, 109 million from Rioja Oriental and 89 million from Rioja Alavesa - of which 342 million kg were red grapes and 43 million kg white.

It had taken place according to the corresponding and appropriate times of a typical harvest, facilitating the selection and entry of the grapes into the wineries, added Franco.

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