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Bodega Marques de Caceres
– Cenicero (Rioja Alta), Spain

“Only 12 vintages in the last 80 years have been rated “5 STARS – Excellent” by the Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja. 2005 is one of those vintages!” “Marqués de Cáceres has rapidly become the leader in the renaissance of Rioja.” “French winemaking techniques and expertise have been applied to native Spanish grapes to produce one of the finest modern Riojas.”

The Monthly Selection

2005 Marques de Caceres Rioja Alta “Tinto Crianza” 

“Only 12 vintages in the last 80 years have been rated “5 STARS - Excellent” by the Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja. 2005 is one of those vintages, and the 2005 is the best Cáceres red in years!” Daily Wine Pick! Wine Spectator Marqués de Cáceres Crianza, noted for its spicy varietal character, its balance and lingering finish, is made from 85% Tempranillo grapes, with the balance split between the Graciano and Garnacha Tinta varieties. The wine is aged in small barrels of French oak for 12 months and in the bottle for at least 14 months. Winemaker Comments: Attractive, bright ruby red colour; refined, lively bouquet of black cherries and blackberries with a soft touch of aromatic Mediterranean herbs and adiscreet touch of vanilla. Lusciously fresh and fruity in the mouth where rich fruit (cherries, strawberries, raspberries) and notes of cinnamon mingle to give a pleasant fullness with a backbone of silky-smooth tannins. There is a long-lasting, unctuous finish. A splendid vintage that is velvety-soft and elegant. Regular A perfect accompaniment to Mediterranean cuisine, fried food, grilled vegetables, pulses, paella and other rice dishes, pasta, fish in tomato sauce, ham, chorizo, pate, beef (roast, stewed or grilled) and cheese (mild or medium matured).

Regular Price $13.49 Web Special $10.99

The Caceres Story

The Rioja region of Spain produces one of the world's finest, and most long-lived wines. Rioja's renaissance, in the latter half of the 19th century, was a direct result of the phylloxera bug that decimated vineyards around the globe. While English merchants turned to Rioja to replace their French imports, the wines here actually have much more in common with Chianti. Both wines are blend relying heavily on one grape, in this case Tempranillo. Like Chianti's Sangiovese, Tempranillo usually produces a relatively high acid wine of medium to medium-full body. Tempranillo tends to produce wines with a dusty, leathery edge to its raspberry and blackberry fruit tones. However, with additions of Graciano, Mazuela and Grancha, the wines of Rioja can take on additional layers of flavor and aroma, and the tradition of extended oak aging for Rioja's great wines contributes to an even more obvious imprint. While the Spaniards have traditionally been fans of the strong vanilla and coconut components that American oak barrels have contributed to Rioja, more and more producers have turned to French oak – favoring its more subtle spice tones. Rioja continues to undergo extended aging in barrel with Reserva and Gran Reserva bottlings, representing a producer's highest achievement, spending a minimum of 3 of 5 years respectively in the producer's cellar.

One of the elite Rioja producers now is Marques de Caceres. Founded in 1970, with its first release in 1975, Marqués de Cáceres has rapidly become the leader in the renaissance of Rioja. The bodega was established by Henri Forner, whose family has been active in the wine business for generations. The winery is actually named for a Spanish peer who was also an investor in the winery and a friend of Henri Forner.

The Forner family fled Spain during the Spanish Civil War and settled in France. In the early 1960’s Henri Forner and his brother Elysée bought and restored two antiquated and abandoned châteaux, Château Camensac and Château Larose-Trintaudon. These châteaux are now recognized as two of the finest properties in Bordeaux.

When Henri decided to establish a bodega in his Spanish homeland, he selected what he considered the finest viticultural area in Spain: Cenicero in Rioja Alta. Cenicero is in gently rolling hills bordered by the Ebro River, and benefits from a microclimate within the Sierra de Cantabria mountains to the north and the Sierra de la Demanda range to the south. The growing season is sunny, usually followed by a period of rainfall, annually 500 millimeters. The roots of the vines grow deep in a ideal soil of chalky clay.

Forner introduced the system of estate-bottling used in Bordeaux by limiting his source of grapes to those of the immediate area – a departure from the local practice of using more widespread sources of supply. He established the Union Vitivinicola, together with a selection of growers who supply the Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres with grapes. This highly restricted source of grapes gives a consistent style and character to the wine. Emile Peynaud, former professor and chief wine researcher at the University of Bordeaux – an icon in the world of wine – was initial consultant to the winery. Today, Michel Rolland, equally iconic and respected, is wine consultant at Marqués de Cáceres and Henri’s daughter, Christine, is at the helm. The vinification methods at Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres are similar to those used in Bordeaux. Thus, French winemaking techniques and expertise have been applied to native Spanish grapes to produce one of the finest modern Riojas.

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