Reserve does indicate a pecking order within a single brand such as Villa Maria. Villa Maria Wines
I was recently asked, and not for the first time, what the term Reserve means when displayed on a wine label. The answer is ‘very little’ because there are few controls on its use.
Reserva in Spain and Portugal is used to distinguish wines from a good vintage.
Reserve does indicate a pecking order within a single brand such as Villa Maria, which has six quality/price levels starting from entry level Private Bin, then Cellar Selection, organically grown EarthGarden, followed by Reserve (“for the discerning connoisseur, highly award winning”, according to the Villa Maria website). Single Vineyard is next with Icon as their flagship brand.
The French equivalent is Réserve which in Champagne refers to wines held over for future years when they can be used for blending, typically in the non-vintage cuvée. Reserve wines develop greater intensity and character with age. Thus if a one year-old wine is blended in equal parts with a nine year-old wine it would tend to taste more like a six or seven year-old wine than a five year-old wine.
Reserva in Spain and Portugal is used to distinguish wines from a good vintage. Reserve wines in Portugal should have an alcohol level of at least half a percent above the regional minimum while in Spain a red wine labelled Reserva will have had at least three years’ ageing in cask and bottle. Spanish white and rosé
This Article was originally published on The Real Review
