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A couple of days after we highlighted La Rioja Alta’s Gran Reserva Viña Arana 2015, a lovely article was published on JancisRobinson.com praising the Iberian Peninsula and notably Rioja’s greatest gift to the wine world – the tradition of releasing mature wines to market. ‘The best Reservas and Gran Reservas can continue to evolve and improve for decades after release,’ says Jancis Robinson MW. ‘One of the most revelatory tastings of my life was of red Riojas from vintages 1982 back to 1945 … the wines were glorious and still very much alive,’ she continues.
Jancis isn't the only fan of these brilliant reds – many of which offer jaw-dropping value. ‘Some of the most complex and energetic red wines that I have had, from anywhere, over the last three decades have been Riojas from the 1970s back to the 1920s,’ wrote Josh Raynolds of Vinous.
We've put together a list of Wine Cellar favourites to kickstart your collection.
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López de Heredia Viña Bosconia Reserva 2011
R 485 PER BOTTLE
This 95-pointer is elegant, juicy, complex and bright with a lovely core of fruit and earthiness. From the El Bosque vineyard, the Viña Bosconia comes from a Burgundy-style wine that their great-grandfather used to make, hence the bottle shape. Here, next to the Ebro River, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano are planted at 465m altitude and make up the blend of Bosconia. Aged for at least 12 years, this Reserva will blow your mind.
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La Rioja Alta Viña Alberdi Reserva 2018
R 395 PER BOTTLE
This 100% Tempranillo is Alberdi’s highest-scoring vintage and their only wine from 2018! ‘Which means that all the Tempranillo grapes that were destined for (Gran Reservas) 890, 904 and all the other wines went to this wine. So, it’s a super- Viña Alberdi,’ explains the Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutiérrez. 2018 was a cooler vintage, allowing for freshness and juicy acidities, along with depth and fruit intensity because of the special vineyards used. Fill your boots with a case of this fantastic, probably once-in-a-lifetime Alberdi.
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López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Reserva 2001
R 1 295 PER BOTTLE
From one of Rioja’s best-ever vintages and most famous vineyards, the 2001 Viña Tondonia Reserva is more than worthy of your attention. ‘I had the chance to taste a bottle … 10 years after it was released, and the wine has evolved beautifully and quite slowly,’ wrote Luis Gutiérrez of the Wine Advocate last year, scoring it a whopping 96+ points. This blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo was fermented in 153-year-old oak vats, matured in barrel for 6 years, and then spent another 16 years in bottle.
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La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 2010
R 3,160 PER BOTTLE
One of the rarest wines on earth, the Gran Reserva 890 from the excellent 2010 vintage is ‘classicism in a bottle’. The 2010 has a perfect 100/100 in the 2024 edition of the Peñin Guide – the equivalent of the Platter’s Guide for Spain. According to the Peñín Guide, it ‘represents the greatness of the great Rioja classics in a superb vintage, with a background freshness that will allow it to grow with elegance and complexity’. It’s among the wines ‘that put Spain on the map’. The 890 is dark-fruited and savoury with an irresistible power, elegance, and sense of balance.
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Torre de Oña Finca Martelo Reserva 2016
R 595 PER BOTTLE
Another 95-point gem, the Finca Martelo is made up of mostly Tempranillo with small amounts of Mazuelo, Garnacha and Viura blended in. Fermented in stainless steel and aged in a mix of older American and French oak barrels, it’s spicy, floral and medium-bodied with beautiful brightness, a silky palate and chalky tannins. 2016 was spectacular and is built for the long haul.
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La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva Viña Arana 2015
R 750 PER BOTTLE
The stars aligned in Rioja in 2015. An outstanding vintage, in the league of 2005 and 2010, the incredible quality led La Rioja Alta to produce all three of their Gran Reservas. Rich and complex, the intense flavour is perfectly supported by sexy tannins and lively acidity. The Viña Arana was introduced in 1974, which makes 2024 the wine’s 50th anniversary. It started life as a Crianza but, thanks to the impressive quality that both the vineyards and wines have shown, has blossomed into a Gran Reserva in recent years. The Wine Advocate calls the 2015 ‘a new Gran Reserva style that combines freshness and joy with intensity, sophistication and aging potential’.
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Reply to this email or visit our website to place your order online.
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Vinous regards,
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