Crianza - matures in the cellar, tastes like sunshine. (36)

Crianza - what is it? 

As part of the Spanish classification system for domestic wine, Crianza denotes quality wines that have aged for 2 years. Depending on the local DO regulations, the wines age for at least 6 months in barrique, and in the Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions, even up to a year. The remaining time, the wine rests in the bottle until it is released on the market. The label Crianza assures the connoisseur that the wine, unlike Joven wines, has aged peacefully. 

Through the stay in the oak barrel, the wine concentrates, as water and alcohol escape through tiny pores in the wood, while the incoming air triggers an oxidation that enriches the texture of the wine. Finally, the Crianza wine gains smoky and woody notes that suit the often powerful vino well. 

The Spanish quality system is based on the aging time and features two more highly interesting categories, Reserva and Grand Reserva, that every Spain fan must try at least once.

Cultural Asset Crianza Wine - the Business Card of Rioja 

Crianza wines are found throughout Spain, but they have taken on a whole new meaning in Rioja. First and foremost, the high significance of Rioja Crianza wines is evident in the extended aging in oak barrels. The wine is aged for at least 12 months in the bodegas, while elsewhere only 6 months. The winemakers along the Ebro have always enjoyed aging their wines – often longer than necessary. With Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva, they have recently gained a means to clearly differentiate their wines. However, quality also has its price here. The better it is that Crianza wines are seen as a kind of business card of the bodega. They are the showcase wines to discover the strengths, style, and character of a winery. Bursting with fruit, cosmopolitan and accessible, as well as attractively priced, Crianza wine presents the bodega. And if the vino is convincing, the enthusiast has access to the flagships of the estate with the Reserva and Gran Reserva. If the Crianza tastes good, the winery tastes good.

In the Ribera del Duero region, different rules apply to Crianza wine. As in Rioja, the wine ages for at least 12 months in oak barrels before resting for another year in the bottle.