November 2024 Crianza Club

Bodegas Cornelio 2018 Autor Seleccion Regular Price: $29.99 Club Price: $ 25.55 Buy Now

I finally had the opportunity to taste the wines from Bodegas Cornelio Dinastía. A colleague had been eagerly awaiting their arrival and can now proudly include them in his portfolio. Definitely worth the wait.

We decided to feature their “Seleccion Autor” from the 2018 vintage in the Crianza Club. With its roots in 40+ year-old vines and an impressive score of 95 points, I was intrigued — and it didn’t disappoint—the freshness and complexity is remarkable, especially for under $30! I was pleasantly surprised by how much character this bottle offered. It’s a perfect fit for our Crianza Club, delivering even more than you’d expect at this price point.

Bodegas Cornelio, a celebrated winery in Rioja, has been crafting exceptional wines for over a century, blending traditional techniques with modern innovations. The Cornelio family focuses on varietal purity and organic farming, ensuring each bottle captures the core essence of the region. Their motto, “Rioja in Body and Soul,” reflects their commitment to displaying the unique character of their grapes and the terroir.

Speaking of terroir, that’s exactly what Cornelio Dinastía is all about in their wines. They’ve got over 20 unique micro-plots in the Toloño foothills of Sierra Cantabria, and they’ve figured out a way to let the distinct soils and microclimates shine through. Lately, it feels like some of Spain’s top producers are moving away from the extra-aged Gran Reserva designation and focusing on freshness, purity, and a 'nowhere-to-hide-the-terroir' approach that’s shifting the conversation around Rioja wines—and honestly, I’m all for it! Bodega Cornelio uses organic farming and a hands-off approach to winemaking, they stick to traditional methods that have been passed down through generations, enabling the grapes to reveal their full potential.  

This wine opens with an irresistible floral bouquet—leading with notes of hibiscus, lilac, and rose petals. With your first sip there’s a rush of cranberry tea and red currants, complemented by a hint of dusty clay. It finishes with a beautifully herbaceous touch, think thyme, white pepper, and star anise. The texture is smooth with a surprising “old man” strength, with layers of secondary spices too, maybe even some smoked paprika. A lingering mineral finish ties it all together. Honestly, it has a little Châteauneuf-du-Pape vibe.

Pair this with something garlicky, meaty, sweet, and savory my choice would be a one pot meal of chorizo and chickpea stew and you can get most of the ingredients right here in our shops when you pick up your wines. —JL

Cune Bela 2020 Ribera del Duero Regular Price: $17.99 Club Price: $ 15.29 Buy Now

 As of writing, Spain only qualifies the Rioja and Priorat regions as ‘Denominación de Origen Calificada’ (DOCa), its highest classification tier. However, every couple of years the conversation inevitably arises of whether to promote the Ribera del Duero to this prestigious status. If we were to select a range of wines to bolster this argument, this month’s Bela would be among them. 

Founded by legendary Rioja producer CVNE, the winery Bela was created as a study and expression of the Ribera del Duero. It was named after Sofia, nicknamed Bela, the daughter of one of CVNE’s founders and great grandmother to the winery’s current managers. Nestled in Villalba de Duero, the winery sits among 74 hectares of 25 year old vineyards. The soils of these vineyards vary between sandy loam and more clay dominant compositions which lend the resultant wine with a balance of structure and concentration of fruit. 2022 was a hot and dry year which rendered a modest harvest, but with deeper intensity of concentration and ripeness. The wine is 100% Tinta del País, more commonly known as Tempranillo. Ribera del Duero has large temperature shifts between the day and night which gives this Tempranillo excellent tannins and acidity. 

Bela’s winemaking style is relatively reserved and delicate for the region. The wine is fermented in stainless steel before it is aged in French oak barrels for 9 months. The winery conducts three more months of bottle aging before releasing the wine to consumers. 

The resultant wine smells of rose and red plum. Blackberries and crushed raspberries blossom on the palate, while notes of baking spices, vanilla and mineral round out the finish. Bela’s texture is persistent and lingering. Pair with red meats, Catalan sausage and good company.