Here are a couple of my favorite Rioja producers at the entry level.
Rioja
I think this is my first time focusing on Rioja, but I have talked about Spain along with other regions and varieties in Spain, including the Canary Islands. Since I often focus on lesser-known regions and varieties, I am only now finally talking a bit about Spain’s most well-known wine region.
For those not familiar with Rioja, it’s located in the center of northern Spain. It predominantly produces red wine from Tempranillo, but other red grapes like Garnacha, Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano are also used. White wines are also made to a lesser extent (less than 10%) with the Viura (Macabeo) grape and sometimes other varieties like Chardonnay, Garnacha Blanca, and Malvasia. Cava (sparkling) is allowed in some parts.
Reds are mostly blends dominated by Tempranillo. It’s a grape that can mimic Merlot and Cabernet based Bordeaux. In fact, when Bordeaux was suffering through phylloxera in the late 1800’s, they invested in and relied on Rioja, so it makes sense they have similar styled wines with oak barrique aging. Of course Rioja is generally warmer (and hence riper) and uses more American oak aging while Bordeaux uses French oak.
Like much of Spain, Rioja has a categorization system based on how much barrel aging and aging overall (including in bottle) is required for each classification. Rioja’s is only slightly different from the general Spanish requirements. There are reds that see little to no oak aging called Generico (or sometimes more specifically Joven for zero oak aging or Roble for a short time in oak) all the way to Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, which have longer requirements for aging with Gran Reserva being the most.
One great thing about Rioja is getting wine that is already aged. The 2019 Crianzas, 2016-2018 Reservas, and 2015-2016 Gran Reservas are typically what you see in the market today, so that means you’re getting wines with 5-10 years of age on it already. Some producers wait even longer. Many of the Reservas and Gran Reservas can age even longer after release. For example, I just had a 1976 Gran Reserva Rioja that was full of life and complexity.
In the US, Crianza Rioja, which is often the entry level for a producer, ranges from $15-30. Reservas and Gran Reservas are usually at least $20 and cost up to several hundreds of dollars, but overall it’s a lot cheaper than Bordeaux or Napa for similarly styled and ageable reds.
The two wines I’m reviewing today are two of my (and a lot of wine lover’s) favorite Rioja producers in general, and this includes their entry level reds. Although they aren’t the cheapest entry level Riojas, they’re both usually under $30 and still make great bargains for their quality level. Therefore, if you haven’t tried these two producers, you need to. Start with their entry level labels to get an idea of what these producers have to offer at the upper levels too. I’ll give more information about each in the tasting notes.
Tasting Notes
2013 Lopez de Heredia Viña Cubillo Crianza Rioja
Lopez de Heredia was founded by Rafael Lopez de Heredia in 1877. He initially focused on exporting wines to France. However, he was born in Chile from Basque parents in 1850 where he started his first studies before moving to France and then Spain. They’ve tried to maintain the traditions, style and quality of wines throughout its long history. Hence, it’s one of the most traditionally styled and age-worthy Rioja producers. Their winemaking actually reminds me a lot of traditional Chilean wine making done in Maule and Itata such as with Pais based wines. In fact, the Basques greatly influenced early Chilean winemaking.* For example, they do organic farming and natural yeast fermentation in old 100+ year old oak vats maintained by their own coopers while traditional Chilean Pais is also made the same way but with old Rauli wood containers. At the same time, a little Bordeaux influence is there with Lopez de Heredia as the wines are aged in 225l Bordeaux style oak barrels, but they remain traditional in that those barrels are American and mostly neutral, used oak. Most are over 10 years of age and only 10% are new oak. Compared to most modern Rioja, their wines have more acidity, elegance, less weight, and less oak influence with complexities coming from the terroir and aging. There’s a savory side to all their wines too more than overt ripe fruit. Their wines typically age longer in the cellar before release than most Rioja with the youngest Cubillo Crianza in the market now being around 8 years old.
Their Viña Cubillo Crianza is their entry-level red. They also have Reserva and Gran Reserva versions of their other two red producing vineyards: Tondonia and Bosconia. They also make highly prized whites. One is a Crianza level white from Viña Gravonia along with Reserva & Gran Reserva whites from Viña Tondonia. The White Gran Reserva costs hundreds of dollars and is one of the most coveted whites among wine lovers. However, their Gran Reserva reds are under $100 and their Reserva reds can often be found for under $50. I just did a tasting of all their Reservas (white and red) in different vintages, and they all were complex, fresh and authentic to the producer and place.
65% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo and Graciano. Average 40-year-old vines. 90,000 bottles made. At least 3 years in used American oak and 3 years in bottle before release. Moderately expressive nose of bright red fruit and balsamic, tobacco, mild oak notes. The palate is more expressive with medium-light bodied and tangy red fruit, a touch of vanilla and no hard edges. Easy to drink. Great with food. Relatively low alcohol at 13.5%. This reminds me more of Chianti than most modern Rioja today. Not yet on tertiary notes initially, so still has time to age. A second tasting (different bottle) shows a bit of dried fruits though and a persistent salinity but more tannins. That was without food though. 91
*As a side note, the fact they use the term “viña,” which is more common in Chile than “bodegas,” which is more common in Rioja, again shows the owner’s roots in Chilean winemaking.
2016 Viña Alberdi Reserva La Rioja Alta Rioja
What would become La Rioja Alta and their various labels was founded around the same time as Lopez de Heredia by local Riojan and Basque families. There were 5 families and a French winemaker at first who later merged with another company owned by Alfredo Ardanza. Their 890 Gran Reserva commemorates the original founding in 1890. Their 904 Gran Reserva is in honor of the 1904 merger. They later added Viña Arana Gran Reserva, Viña Ardanza Reserva and Viña Alberdi Reserva under the larger label of La Rioja Alta in addition to some other labels in Rioja, Rias Baixas and Ribera del Duero. The Viña Alberdi is the cheapest of their Reserva level La Rioja Alta wines.
As mentioned before, what makes Rioja in general and these two producers in particular special is their ability to make quality wines on a large scale and have enough space to keep them all for 5-10 years in their cellar before we get their mature and more ready to drink wines in the market. It’s more modern in style and winemaking techniques than Lopez de Heredia, but it still continues to use American oak and limit the amount of new oak.
100% 40+ year old Tempranillo planted on clay and limestone soil at 500-600 m. 2 years in American oak barrels (new the first year and 4th used the second year). The nose shows dark and red fruit and creamy, vanilla oak. The palate is elegant in feel and light on its feet with more dark fruit than red, medium-low acid, some spice and oak notes. Tannins are already soft and easy and smooth to drink now. No sense of the 14.5% alcohol. More akin to good cru bourgeois Left Bank Bordeaux compared to other Reserva Rioja which are bigger, darker and oakier. There’s enough freshness and delicacy of fruit to not make it feel flabby like some modern wines can be. Compared to the Lopez de Heredia, it’s more oaked, less acidic and darker, but equally as smooth and elegant. 90
Conclusion
These two producers show you what classic Rioja is about. Lopez de Heredia is retro-classic, more akin to classic Tuscan Sangiovese or Nebbiolo from Piedmont, while La Rioja Alta is more modern classic in the style of most Rioja today but with more elegance, freshness and restraint than average Rioja. Of course, there are Rioja producers who have more oak, ripeness and alcohol if that’s the style you prefer. However, both these two producers hit the spot for me for what I want from Rioja.