#Rioja!

Bountiful rewards await those who reach the shores of Spain, even if only by hashtag. Twitter aside for the moment, I’ve been fortunate to literally set foot in-country, and my time in Seville and Madrid soon will not be forgotten. In addition to high consumption of jamon and late nights spent in indescribably ideal wine bars, I returned with more than a case of vino, including samples of the regal Heras Cordon Rioja Reserva, of which I’ve breathlessly raved.

Dream time over (sigh), and now anchored in SUV and strip-mall surroundings of suburban Philadelphia, I recently rode the Twitter bird to Rioja during a virtual tasting sponsored by the region’s promotional peeps. The session was hosted by Philly area wine dude Joe Roberts, held in conjunction with “Rioja Week” in NYC. Yes, they made a point to call out the geographic exclusivity of the thing so put down those glasses, all of youz/yinz out there.

Though we’ve weighed in on Rioja before, I’ll plainly state it again: Better value and quality is difficult to find in the world market. These are honest wines that convey a sense of their origins and, in many cases, are well-aged in the bottle before their release to retail. Finding a flavorful, moderately matured Rioja in the sub-$20 category is not a stretch.

So, back to Twitter. During the tasting we sampled a couple Riojas worth looking for in Pennsylvania.

The Cune Monopole 2012, a white Rioja, is stainless steel-fermented – a clean quaff of notable minerality, yet its benefits extend from there. It blossoms closer to room temperature, allowing the key lime, lemon, grapefruit and subtle tropical flavors to escape. There’s a sharp acid attack through to mid-palate and a drier style that’s especially felt on the finish. Also notable was some richness, a broader mouth feel. In sum, it’s an age-worthy find at $14.99 and will accompany light white fish, shellfish and oysters. The 2013 is also available in PA.

Ramon Bilbao Crianza 2010 was more of a sleeper. Expecting the blessed stink I’ve come to love in Rioja reds, this nose is more new world, and only a powerful swirl will unleash tiny whiffs of the barnyard. All Tempranillo, there’s a lighter touch here with emphasis on freshness and cherry fruit – but I will admit to searching for more of a hook upon first pour. It’s definitely an everyday sipper, and priced to move at $9. Plus, after about a two-hour decant, it showed more depth, great acidity and a slight funk. Size it up against Manchego cheese, olives and barbecue (think sweet BBQ sauce on chicken).

This concludes our Rioja sojourn. Oh, and drinking Spanish is permissible outside of Gotham. Really. I checked.