Barón de Chirel: A Modern Classic Redefining Rioja Tradition
Barón de Chirel is a modern classic which showcases the identity, tradition, and modernity of Rioja. The first vintage of Barón de Chirel, in 1986, was a response to the growing interest in fine quality Rioja. Since the outset, Marqués de Riscal had very close ties with the winemaking methods of Bordeaux.
Bordeaux Influence and Collaboration
Marqués de Riscal worked with consultant Professor Guy Guimberteau, successor to Émile Peynaud, who in his Bordeaux oenological training also tutored Francisco Hurtado de Amézaga. Later, in 1997, Paul Pontallier, director general of one of the five Bordeaux premiers crus, Château Margaux, also joined. From these relationships sprang the idea of making an experimental wine which would revive the grandeur of those mythical Médoc Reservas, brought right up to date with the technology and resources of the 20th century.
Terroir-Driven Excellence
Vines aged between 80–110 years old were selected with very low yields and high-quality grapes. The wine is only made in the best vintages when the vines express the full character of the terroir; the ‘New Era of Rioja’ had just begun. Pioneer and precursor of what would later be known as ‘high expression wines’.
Enduring Prestige
After immediate success when it first entered a market hungry for fine, quality wines, an endless procession of wines began to appear in the wake of Barón de Chirel, but the original continues to offer great prestige among the most discerning consumers.
