A trip to the historic center of Rioja Alavesa, the wine region of northern Spain, has long been at the top of my wish list. Ideally, in golden October, when freshly harvested wines are resting in tanks and barrels and producers have time for a private tour. Maybe you can get an idea of the world-famous wineries of Bodega Cosme Palacio and taste their award-winning wines? Spend the night in a glorious country, have a great meal and meet lots of interesting people at the same time? Ideally, as a wine scholar and journalist, I’d be invited, even by the producer, and all I had to do was enjoy the days and put my experiences on paper?
I was very happy when I was invited to an international press trip to the Cosme Palacio at the end of September. To be honest, even before I left, I felt a bit like a lottery winner and I still can’t get over that feeling. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, only a few onsite tasting invitations have been given to journalists in the past two years. The highest of emotions were the virtual tastings where samples were sent to me in advance.
24-hour butler service and outstanding star cuisine
Shortly after landing in Madrid, we board a Mercedes minibus and join the convoy at Autopista del Norte. We set off for Rioja Alavesa with a quick drive. Not far from the Spanish capital, the plateau is unreal, rugged and desert-like. The effects of the hot summer and drought of the century are still clearly visible. Not surprisingly, summer in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula was 3.8 degrees warmer than the long-term average. But the picture changes as you get closer to the world-famous La Rioja wine region. The entire color palette of lush green, dark brown humus and golden autumn is reflected in the milky evening light.
The mood of our ragtag group of journalists, who managed to get a spot on the international press trip to northern Spain, suddenly changes. Victoria Javet from Geneva, Sam Lupton and Paul Richardson from England, and Ross Fraser from Scotland write for lifestyle or luxury magazines, but are just as excited as I am when they see the stately home of Casa Cosme Palacio. At this 5-star residence not far from the historic city of Laguardia, selected guests can enjoy 24-hour butler service, an individual itinerary, outstanding star cuisine and an almost 4000 m2 property for private use. advantages .
Luxury without the bling bling
The very spacious rooms are lovingly furnished. No one is like the other. Anyone expecting nouveau riche kitsch and bling-bling will be disappointed. The rooms, lounges, dining room and wide open space invite you to linger with their simple elegance. The modern and ancient design of the cottage looks completely timeless. And then the view from my hotel room! I can really relax, unwind and recharge my batteries in this power place. The heart of the magnificent hotel district is the old wine cellar where the estate plants are fermented and stored. At the foot of the Sierra de Candabria (Cantabrian Mountains) and not far from the Ebro river, the bodega has been producing high-quality wines for over 125 years. Today, of course, a modern winery with a tasting and sales room should not be missing. For this reason, candlelit dinners are also organized upon request at venerable wineries.
tradition and modernity
It is only the next day that we get a special insight into the ultra-modern cellars of the winery. But personally from the boss. Gonzalo Entrecanales and wine expert José Tejedor introduce us to production methods and aging techniques, and allow us to taste freshly harvested and not yet fully fermented young wine. A cask sample of the almost finished Cosme Palacio Reserva gives an idea of how meticulously the work has been done here. The perfect symbiosis of pure Tempranillo, printed modern and at the same time traditional. Here are some of the best the historic Rioja Altavesa wine region has to offer right now. The wines are generally convincing, I was particularly impressed by both the white and red “1894”, both were 2018. few minutes by E-Bike to reach.
Wines of Cosme Palacio
The article comes from Tobias Gysi, a sommelier and Swiss sommelier.