Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/990824
20 / the tasting panel / june 2018 The Ransom Note is a monthly column by The Tasting Panel's East Coast Editor, David Ransom. Each month, David connects readers with some of the people, products, and events that are making news along the Eastern Seaboard. K nown as one of the world's great wine-producing regions, the legacy of Spain's Rioja is most certainly secure, but that doesn't mean the region is ready to rest on its laurels. Over the past decade, significant changes have taken effect that are helping push the region toward the future while keeping it relevant in the ever-expanding lexicon of Spanish wines. Last month I had the privilege of sitting down with two producers leading the way in Rioja. Over dinner at the meat-centric hidden gem The Cannibal Beer & Butcher in New York's Murray Hill neighborhood, I caught up with Grupo Baron de Ley's Director International General Manager Victor Fuentes and tasted through the company's El Coto de Rioja wines. With 2,000 acres under vine, Grupo Baron de Ley is the largest vineyard owner in Rioja. Imported by Frederick Wildman & Sons, the El Coto line covers the full spectrum of Rioja production by offering an excellent value-driven portfolio that includes El Coto Blanco, Rosado, and Crianza, as well as Coto de Imaz Reserva and Gran Reserva. The first three are perfect for by-the-glass programs, while the Reserva and Gran Reserva are more suited to placing on wine lists. This year, in the wake of new labeling guidelines and regulations expanding what can be grown in Rioja to now include Verdejo, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, El Coto is releasing its first varietally labeled 100% Verdejo and 100% Garnacha wines, as well as a barrel- fermented Chardonnay called 875m (an ode to the elevation of the Finca Carbonera vineyard where the grapes are grown). I got a sneak preview, and they tasted wonderful! Next, over lunch at Boqueria with Bodegas Bilbainas Winemaker Alejandro López García, I tried the newest releases from Viña Pomal. Imported by Aveníu Brands, the line of wines includes a Blanco (Viura-Malvasia), a Rosado made from Garnacha and Viura, a 100% Tempranillo Reserva, and a 90% Tempranillo/10% Graciano Gran Reserva. Also tasted were the three Viña Pomal offerings from the Vinos Singulares line, a new category created in accordance with the DOCa Rioja's move to allow single-vineyard designations on labels. Graciano, Tempranillo Blanco, and Maturana Blanca make up the first trio of releases. The New Rioja RECENT CHANGES BODE WELL FOR THE SPANISH REGION'S NEWEST RELEASES story and photos by David Ransom Over the past decade, significant changes have taken effect that are helping push the region toward the future while keeping it relevant in the ever-expanding lexicon of Spanish wines. Last month I had the privilege of sitting down with two producers leading the way in Rioja. Over dinner at the meat-centric hidden gem The Cannibal Beer & Butcher in New York's Murray Hill neighborhood, I caught up with Grupo Baron de Ley's Director International General Manager Victor Fuentes and tasted through the company's El Coto de Rioja wines. With 2,000 acres under vine, Grupo Baron de Ley is the largest vineyard Imported by Frederick Wildman & Sons, the El Coto line covers the full spectrum of Rioja production by offering an excellent value-driven portfolio that includes El Coto Blanco, Rosado, and Crianza, as well as Coto de Imaz Reserva and Gran Reserva. The first three are perfect for by-the-glass programs, while the Reserva and Gran Reserva are more suited to placing on wine lists. This year, in the wake of new labeling guidelines and regulations expanding what can be grown in Rioja to now include Verdejo, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, El Coto is releasing its first varietally labeled 100% Verdejo Tasting Panel East Coast Editor David Ransom with Viña Pomal's Alejandro Lopez Garcia at Boqueria in New York. The lineup of El Coto wines at The Cannibal Beer & Butcher. The Viña Pomal Vinos Singulares Tempranillo Blanco.