Rioja
Rioja, one of Spain's most esteemed wine regions, is renowned for its exceptional fine wines. With a winemaking tradition that spans centuries, Rioja is celebrated for its unique terroir, diverse grape varieties, and the artistry of its winemakers. Situated in northern Spain, Rioja produces wines that embody the rich history and passion of Spanish winemaking.
One of the most famous vineyards in Rioja is Bodegas Marqués de Riscal, a historic winery that has been producing wines since 1858. Their wines, including the iconic Marqués de Riscal Reserva and Marqués de Riscal Gran Reserva, are renowned for their elegance, complexity, and age-worthiness.
Another esteemed vineyard is Bodegas López de Heredia Viña Tondonia, known for its traditional winemaking practices and long-aged wines. Their Viña Tondonia Reserva and Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva are highly sought-after by wine enthusiasts seeking the classic Rioja style.
Rioja is primarily known for its red wines, which are crafted predominantly from the Tempranillo grape variety. Notable vineyards such as Bodegas Muga, Bodegas Roda, and Bodegas CVNE (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) produce exceptional red wines that showcase the region's unique characteristics. These wines display flavours of ripe red fruit, subtle oak influence, well-integrated tannins, and a remarkable balance.
Rioja also offers notable white wines, mainly made from the Viura grape variety. Bodegas Riojanas, Bodegas Ontañón, and Bodegas Valdemar are among the renowned vineyards that produce exquisite white wines with vibrant acidity, citrus flavours, and a refreshing crispness.
The region's wines are often classified into four categories: Rioja, Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva, indicating the aging process and quality level. This classification system ensures consistent quality and allows wine lovers to choose wines based on their preferred style and maturity.
Rioja's fine wines beautifully capture the essence of the region, showcasing a harmonious balance between tradition and innovation. Whether you're savouring a well-aged Reserva, a vibrant Crianza, or a complex Gran Reserva, Rioja's wines promise an unforgettable experience that reflects the region's winemaking heritage and dedication to excellence.
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Rioja
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Rioja | 99 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£488.60 |
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Wine Advocate (95)The 2021 Alma Contador, produced with 91% Tempranillo and 9% Garnacha, feels very ripe, and the label states 15% alcohol. It has notes of stewed fruit, dark spices, smoke and toast. It has a full-bodied palate with abundant tannins and is very powerful and concentrated but with all the components in good balance. This is going to require a little more time in bottle and/or powerful food. 14,000 bottles produced. It was bottled after 20 months in new French oak barrels. |
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Rioja | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£324.55 |
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Rioja | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£107.20 |
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Rioja | 1 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£317.15 |
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Wine Advocate (95)The 2018 Viña del Olivo comes from a plot planted in 1980 that has different soils from the rest of the property, which is mostly alluvial. Here, the soils are composed of clay and limestone. It's 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, which fermented in 1,000-liter French oak vats followed by 16 months in barrel and a further three months in oak vats. This is raw and young, but it's already been released because the wine sells like hot cakes. It's marked by the toasted barrels and has all the baby fat it needs to be rendered invisible with time in bottle. It has very good freshness and round and sophisticated tannins with purity of fruit and finesse. 13,640 bottles and some larger formats. It was bottled in April 2020. |
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Rioja | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£170.64 |
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James Suckling (98)A brilliant evolution in the Vina del Olivio character here, with energy and brightness, as well as focused and pure tannins. Medium- to full-bodied with fantastic length. Very structured. Like eating a perfectly ripe grape al dente. Needs three to four years to come around. |
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Rioja | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£121.32 |
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James Suckling (98)A brilliant evolution in the Vina del Olivio character here, with energy and brightness, as well as focused and pure tannins. Medium- to full-bodied with fantastic length. Very structured. Like eating a perfectly ripe grape al dente. Needs three to four years to come around. |
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Rioja | 1 | 99 (TA) |
Inc. VAT
£423.43 |
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Tim Atkin MW (99)Well, well, well. This is one of the best wines of an outstanding vintage, demonstrating that this warm Rioja Alavesa site performs best in cooler vintages. It's a wine that oozes quality from the first sniff, all blackcurrant leaf, coffee bean and wild herbs, leading into a palate of mocha, plum and blackberry. The palate is refined, polished and beautifully freighted, marrying Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% each of Mazuelo and Garnacha to (near) perfection. I can't recall a better wine from the estate. Bravo! |
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Rioja | 1 | 99 (TA) |
Inc. VAT
£397.55 |
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Tim Atkin MW (99)Well, well, well. This is one of the best wines of an outstanding vintage, demonstrating that this warm Rioja Alavesa site performs best in cooler vintages. It's a wine that oozes quality from the first sniff, all blackcurrant leaf, coffee bean and wild herbs, leading into a palate of mocha, plum and blackberry. The palate is refined, polished and beautifully freighted, marrying Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% each of Mazuelo and Garnacha to (near) perfection. I can't recall a better wine from the estate. Bravo! |
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Rioja | 1 | 99 (TA) |
Inc. VAT
£413.15 |
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Tim Atkin MW (99)Well, well, well. This is one of the best wines of an outstanding vintage, demonstrating that this warm Rioja Alavesa site performs best in cooler vintages. It's a wine that oozes quality from the first sniff, all blackcurrant leaf, coffee bean and wild herbs, leading into a palate of mocha, plum and blackberry. The palate is refined, polished and beautifully freighted, marrying Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% each of Mazuelo and Garnacha to (near) perfection. I can't recall a better wine from the estate. Bravo! |
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Rioja | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£417.95 |
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James Suckling (98)This is very Asian with black tea, mushroom and bark aromas, and ripe fruit undertones. Full body, round and polished. Edgy structure with blackberry, mushroom skin and cedar. Fantastic finish. Just a baby. Stock up for the cellar. Better in 2020 but already excellent. |
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Rioja | 7 | - |
Inc. VAT
£317.28 |
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Rioja | 7 | - |
Inc. VAT
£429.12 |
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Rioja | 1 | 92 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£132.53 |
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Vinous (92)Dark red. Youthful, expansive, oak-driven aromas of blackberry, cherry liqueur, cola and roasted coffee. Lush, creamy, medium-weight wine with good depth to its dark fruit flavors; more tangy mineral and licorice notes appear on the back end. The long finish features firm tannins and a lingering note of cherry preserves. |
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Rioja | 2 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£171.95 |
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James Suckling (97)This is so powerful and tightly wound with so much intensity and power. Full body. Crushed berries and hints of walnuts and cedar. Purity in fruit. Very subtle character, but great tension and richness. Drink after 2021. |
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Rioja | 2 | 95 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£191.15 |
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James Suckling (95)Black cherries with cedar and dried flowers, as well as dusty earth. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm tannins that are long and polished. Lots of structure. Very typical and focused. Drinkable now, but better in 2024. |
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Rioja | 1 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£138.53 |
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Vinous (96)The 2001 Gran Reserva Imperial (Tempranillo-based Rioja) shows how time builds layers. Tertiary fruit emerges as dried cherry and rhubarb alongside dried flowers, while the oak remains delicate and fully integrated into the bouquet. Aging tightens and refines the palate, which is driven by acidity and stays smooth and silky, gaining energy from the élevage. This vintage shows impressive completeness and complexity. With air, perfumed oak notes appear: coconut, cedar and tertiary spice. Slightly light in body but strikingly luminous, it finishes with an appealing note of orange peel. |
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Rioja | 1 | 95 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£158.66 |
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Wine Spectator (95)Firm and a bit austere, this red shows depth and drive, with chewy tannins supporting plum, tobacco, licorice and mineral flavors. The structure is solid but the wine remains fresh. Maturing now, this has a long life ahead. Drink now through 2024. 4,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported. |
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Rioja | 1 | 94 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£123.86 |
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Vinous (94)Deep, bright ruby. Highly complex, expansive scents of ripe dark berries, cherry pie, mocha, pipe tobacco and vanilla, with a smoky overtone. Sweet, deep blackberry and floral pastille flavors are complicated by notes of spicecake and bitter chocolate, showing unlikely vivacity on the back half. This ripe and rich but elegant Rioja combines finishes supple, smoky and very long, with velvety tannins making a late appearance to add grip. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Rioja | 99 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£386.50 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (95)The 2021 Alma Contador, produced with 91% Tempranillo and 9% Garnacha, feels very ripe, and the label states 15% alcohol. It has notes of stewed fruit, dark spices, smoke and toast. It has a full-bodied palate with abundant tannins and is very powerful and concentrated but with all the components in good balance. This is going to require a little more time in bottle and/or powerful food. 14,000 bottles produced. It was bottled after 20 months in new French oak barrels. |
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Rioja | 1 | - |
In Bond
£252.00 |
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Rioja | 1 | - |
In Bond
£86.00 |
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Rioja | 1 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£245.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (95)The 2018 Viña del Olivo comes from a plot planted in 1980 that has different soils from the rest of the property, which is mostly alluvial. Here, the soils are composed of clay and limestone. It's 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, which fermented in 1,000-liter French oak vats followed by 16 months in barrel and a further three months in oak vats. This is raw and young, but it's already been released because the wine sells like hot cakes. It's marked by the toasted barrels and has all the baby fat it needs to be rendered invisible with time in bottle. It has very good freshness and round and sophisticated tannins with purity of fruit and finesse. 13,640 bottles and some larger formats. It was bottled in April 2020. |
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|
|
Rioja | 1 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£136.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)A brilliant evolution in the Vina del Olivio character here, with energy and brightness, as well as focused and pure tannins. Medium- to full-bodied with fantastic length. Very structured. Like eating a perfectly ripe grape al dente. Needs three to four years to come around. |
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|
|
Rioja | 1 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£98.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)A brilliant evolution in the Vina del Olivio character here, with energy and brightness, as well as focused and pure tannins. Medium- to full-bodied with fantastic length. Very structured. Like eating a perfectly ripe grape al dente. Needs three to four years to come around. |
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|
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Rioja | 1 | 99 (TA) |
In Bond
£340.00 |
|||||
Tim Atkin MW (99)Well, well, well. This is one of the best wines of an outstanding vintage, demonstrating that this warm Rioja Alavesa site performs best in cooler vintages. It's a wine that oozes quality from the first sniff, all blackcurrant leaf, coffee bean and wild herbs, leading into a palate of mocha, plum and blackberry. The palate is refined, polished and beautifully freighted, marrying Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% each of Mazuelo and Garnacha to (near) perfection. I can't recall a better wine from the estate. Bravo! |
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|
|
Rioja | 1 | 99 (TA) |
In Bond
£312.00 |
|||||
Tim Atkin MW (99)Well, well, well. This is one of the best wines of an outstanding vintage, demonstrating that this warm Rioja Alavesa site performs best in cooler vintages. It's a wine that oozes quality from the first sniff, all blackcurrant leaf, coffee bean and wild herbs, leading into a palate of mocha, plum and blackberry. The palate is refined, polished and beautifully freighted, marrying Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% each of Mazuelo and Garnacha to (near) perfection. I can't recall a better wine from the estate. Bravo! |
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|
|
Rioja | 1 | 99 (TA) |
In Bond
£325.00 |
|||||
Tim Atkin MW (99)Well, well, well. This is one of the best wines of an outstanding vintage, demonstrating that this warm Rioja Alavesa site performs best in cooler vintages. It's a wine that oozes quality from the first sniff, all blackcurrant leaf, coffee bean and wild herbs, leading into a palate of mocha, plum and blackberry. The palate is refined, polished and beautifully freighted, marrying Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% each of Mazuelo and Garnacha to (near) perfection. I can't recall a better wine from the estate. Bravo! |
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|
|
Rioja | 1 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£329.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)This is very Asian with black tea, mushroom and bark aromas, and ripe fruit undertones. Full body, round and polished. Edgy structure with blackberry, mushroom skin and cedar. Fantastic finish. Just a baby. Stock up for the cellar. Better in 2020 but already excellent. |
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Rioja | 7 | - |
In Bond
£252.00 |
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Rioja | 7 | - |
In Bond
£339.00 |
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Rioja | 1 | 92 (VN) |
In Bond
£107.00 |
|||||
Vinous (92)Dark red. Youthful, expansive, oak-driven aromas of blackberry, cherry liqueur, cola and roasted coffee. Lush, creamy, medium-weight wine with good depth to its dark fruit flavors; more tangy mineral and licorice notes appear on the back end. The long finish features firm tannins and a lingering note of cherry preserves. |
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Rioja | 2 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£124.00 |
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James Suckling (97)This is so powerful and tightly wound with so much intensity and power. Full body. Crushed berries and hints of walnuts and cedar. Purity in fruit. Very subtle character, but great tension and richness. Drink after 2021. |
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Rioja | 2 | 95 (JS) |
In Bond
£140.00 |
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James Suckling (95)Black cherries with cedar and dried flowers, as well as dusty earth. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm tannins that are long and polished. Lots of structure. Very typical and focused. Drinkable now, but better in 2024. |
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|
|
Rioja | 1 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£134.40 |
|||||
Vinous (96)The 2001 Gran Reserva Imperial (Tempranillo-based Rioja) shows how time builds layers. Tertiary fruit emerges as dried cherry and rhubarb alongside dried flowers, while the oak remains delicate and fully integrated into the bouquet. Aging tightens and refines the palate, which is driven by acidity and stays smooth and silky, gaining energy from the élevage. This vintage shows impressive completeness and complexity. With air, perfumed oak notes appear: coconut, cedar and tertiary spice. Slightly light in body but strikingly luminous, it finishes with an appealing note of orange peel. |
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|
|
Rioja | 1 | 95 (WS) |
In Bond
£129.00 |
|||||
Wine Spectator (95)Firm and a bit austere, this red shows depth and drive, with chewy tannins supporting plum, tobacco, licorice and mineral flavors. The structure is solid but the wine remains fresh. Maturing now, this has a long life ahead. Drink now through 2024. 4,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported. |
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Rioja | 1 | 94 (VN) |
In Bond
£100.00 |
|||||
Vinous (94)Deep, bright ruby. Highly complex, expansive scents of ripe dark berries, cherry pie, mocha, pipe tobacco and vanilla, with a smoky overtone. Sweet, deep blackberry and floral pastille flavors are complicated by notes of spicecake and bitter chocolate, showing unlikely vivacity on the back half. This ripe and rich but elegant Rioja combines finishes supple, smoky and very long, with velvety tannins making a late appearance to add grip. |
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