Spain, the slopes of the Ebro Valley

Rioja wines: reds for ageing, Garnacha and Viura whites

47 bottles, from joven to gran reserva

A red for ageing with aromas of cherry and spice, a hillside Garnacha, a white polished by ageing: the Ebro valley offers all of this, from everyday wine to the bottle for the cellar. Tempranillo dominates, Garnacha takes the heights, and the designations crianza, reserva and gran reserva tell you the length of ageing.

The selection ranges from the great houses of Haro to the single-plot wines of Artadi, Macán and Juan Carlos Sancha.

Three sub-zones, one riverFrom the Atlantic slopes of Haro and the Sonsierra to the Mediterranean slopes of Mount Yerga, the selection covers Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental.
Organically farmed vinesJuan Carlos Sancha in the Najerilla valley and Palacios Remondo in Rioja Oriental farm their vines organically, from Maturana to Garnacha.
An adviser will answer youA question about a vintage, ageing potential or a pairing? Write to us from the contact page and we will reply with our tasting notes.
Where these wines are born

Villages, sub-zones and altitudes

The appellation follows the Ebro through La Rioja, Álava and Navarre. The Atlantic west gives taut reds, the drier east sun-drenched wines where Garnacha thrives.

Where the wines in the selection come from
PlaceSub-zoneSoil and altitudeA bottle
Haro and its slopes Rioja Alta, southern part Clay-limestone and alluvium, Atlantic influence Viña Alberdi Reserva 2021La Rioja Alta, €29.70 a bottle, by the case of 6
Pago Canajas, upper Ygay Rioja Alta, southern part Clay-limestone, from 320 to 485 m Gran Reserva 2016Marqués de Murrieta, €61.00 a bottle, by the lot of 2
Baños de Río Tobía, Najerilla Valley Rioja Alta Clay and limestone, south-facing slope at 650 m Peña El Gato 2022Juan Carlos Sancha, €26.00 a bottle, or €25.00 by the case of 6
San Vicente de la Sonsierra Rioja Alta, north bank of the Ebro Clay-limestone and gravel, at the foot of the Sierra de Cantabria Macán Clásico 2021Macán, €66.00 a bottle, by the lot of 2
Labastida Rioja Alavesa Sand, marl and limestone, 580 m Challao 2021Dominio del Challao, €179.00 a bottle, sold individually
Laguardia and Elvillar Rioja Alavesa Clay-limestone, sand and silt, at the foot of the Sierra de Toloño Viñas de Gain 2021Artadi, €41.00 a bottle, by the lot of 3
Mount Yerga, near Alfaro Rioja Oriental North-east slope, vines at 550 m La Montesa 2021Palacios Remondo, €23.00 a bottle, individually or by the case of 6

In 2015 Artadi chose to leave the appellation and label its wines with the name of Laguardia and of its plots: El Pisón, El Carretil, La Poza de Ballesteros. Its bottles remain pure children of Rioja Alavesa.

Read the label

From joven to single-plot wine

The classic terms measure the length of ageing. The newer terms, village wine and singular vineyard, designate a place: two ways to choose your bottle.

DOCa Rioja terms and bottles to taste
Please mentionRule for a redIn the glassTo taste
Joven or genérico Short or tank ageing, early bottling Crunchy fruit, fine tannins La Vendimia 2018Palacios Remondo, €13.50 a bottle, by the case of 6, or €29.00 per magnum
Crianza 24 months' ageing, including 12 in barrique Ripe fruit, discreet oak Crianza 2021Gómez Cruzado, €17.90 a bottle, by the case of 6
Reserva 36 months, including 12 in barrique and 6 in bottle Sweet spice, candied fruit Viña Ardanza Reserva 2017La Rioja Alta, €49.00 a bottle, by the lot of 3
Village wine 60 months, including 24 in barrique and 24 in bottle Mature bouquet, leather, long ageing potential Gran Reserva 904 2016La Rioja Alta, €115.60 a bottle, sold individually
Singular vineyard Grapes from a single village, named on the label The imprint of a village Cerro Las Cuevas 2018Gómez Cruzado, Haro, €60.00 a bottle, by the lot of 2
White for ageing Identified plot, vines at least 35 years old, limited yields Precision, depth Dalmau 2020Marqués de Murrieta, Pago Canajas, €230.00 a bottle, sold individually

Minimum durations for reds; whites and rosés follow shorter durations.

To choose

A bottle for every mood

Start with the occasion, and the bottle will follow.

Our take

From American oak to the single plot

For a long time Rioja was read through the length of ageing: a wine patiently aged in American oak barriques earned its stripes as a reserva, then a gran reserva. In Haro, La Rioja Alta and Gómez Cruzado carry on this school, as does Marqués de Murrieta at Finca Ygay.

Another reading has taken hold, that of place. Artadi in Laguardia, Lanzaga in Lanciego, Macán in the Sonsierra or Juan Carlos Sancha in the Najerilla isolate a village, a slope, an old bush vine. We keep both schools side by side: one for the festive table, the other for understanding a terroir.

White, the other face of Rioja

Viura, called Macabeo elsewhere in Spain, remains the backbone of Rioja whites. Tempranillo Blanco, a mutation of Tempranillo, and Maturana Blanca, an old grape variety brought back, give it relief. Taste the Maturana Blanca of Ad Libitum Blanco 2024 (€15.00 a bottle, by the case of 6) or Plácet Valtomelloso 2018, Viura aged 11 months on fine lees (€27.50 a bottle, by the case of 6).

The Wine Wanderer Team

Frequently Asked Questions

What people ask us about Rioja

What is the difference between crianza, reserva and gran reserva?

These designations measure the minimum ageing of a red: 24 months for crianza, including 12 in barrique; 36 for reserva, including 12 in barrique; 60 for gran reserva, including 24 in barrique and 24 in bottle. Compare Finca San Martín Crianza 2021 (€17.60 a bottle, by the case of 6) and Viña Arana 2016 (€65.60 a bottle, by the lot of 2).

Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa or Rioja Oriental: what are the differences?

Rioja Alta, in the west, receives the Atlantic influence: taut reds, made for ageing. Rioja Alavesa, north of the Ebro in the Basque Country, plants Tempranillo on limestone slopes sheltered by the Sierra de Cantabria. Rioja Oriental, hotter, gives pride of place to Garnacha, like Palacios Remondo's La Montesa 2021 (€23.00 a bottle, sold individually).

Which Rioja to choose for under €20?

Finca Cienvacas 2024, a light, fresh Tempranillo, costs €8.90 a bottle, by the case of 6. David Moreno's Tinto Madurado 2022 sells for €11.90, sold individually. For a crianza, Gómez Cruzado Crianza 2021 is €17.90 a bottle, by the case of 6. Widen your search to Spanish wines sorted by price.

Rioja or Ribera del Duero: which one to choose?

Both are based on Tempranillo. Rioja gives suppler reds, marked by ageing and often blended with Garnacha or Graciano. Ribera del Duero, on a plateau above 750 m, delivers denser, darker wines. The Tempranillo range brings the two together.

Does Rioja produce white wines?

Yes, from Viura, sometimes blended with Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Blanca or Garnacha Blanca. Aged in oak, these whites gain breadth. Gómez Cruzado's Rioja Blanco 2022 costs €17.90 a bottle, by the case of 6; Artadi's Viñas de Gain Blanco 2019, €41.00 a bottle, by the lot of 3.

How long can you keep a Rioja wine?

A joven such as La Vendimia or an easy-drinking red such as Finca Cienvacas is drunk within five years. A crianza, or a Garnacha such as La Montesa, opens up between five and ten years. Gran reservas and single-plot wines (Viña Arana, 904, Macán, Challao, El Pisón) can take ten years in the cellar and more.

At what temperature should Rioja be served, and with which dishes?

Serve the reds between 16 and 18 °C, a little cooler for a joven, and decant a young gran reserva. Tempranillo loves roast lamb, grilled beef, game and aged pressed cheeses. Viura white goes with poultry and fish in sauce.

What is a Viñedo Singular in Rioja?

Since 2017, the Rioja DOCa has recognised singular vineyards: an identified plot, vines at least 35 years old, reduced yields, hand harvesting. The designation puts the place first. In this spirit, taste Juan Carlos Sancha's Cerro la Isa tinto 2019, at €75.40 a bottle, by the lot of 2.

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