Rich and elegant Rioja is the perfect festive choice
R@rosemurraybrown
ioja is a popular choice for the festive meal. As there are more than 400 bodegas in the region, finding the right one isn’t always easy. To help, here’s my top ten.
Under £16
Glorioso Rioja Reserva 2016 Cosme Palacio
Star buy
Five-year-old Rioja at a superb price made by winemaker Roberto Rodriguez from the Cosme Palacio stable. Deliciously rich cherry fruits, spicy leathery notes, rich gamey complex palate and fine tannins. Hard to find such a good mature Rioja at this price.
£11.95, The Wine Society; Ocado
El Pacto Tinto Rioja 2019 Vintae
Modern style with upfront fruits, vivid freshness, good acidity and refined tannins – quite elegant crianza for the price. Made from several plots of old vines, mostly tempranillo with garnacha and mazuelo, all fermented together and aged one year in barrel.
£11.50, The Wine Society
La Vendimia 2019 Palacios Remondo
Another cracker from warm dry 2019 vintage with ripe cherry fruits, lovely youthful freshness, light oak and beautiful balance. No wonder it is so good – this 50-50 blend of tempranillo and garnacha from Rioja Orientale is made by the esteemed Alvaro Palacios, one of Spain’s top winemakers, on his father’s Rioja estate.
£15.49, Berry Bros; Butlers Wine Cellars
Under £25
Rioja Crianza Vinedos en Altitud 2017 Cosme Palacio
Star buy
This stood out in a line up of Rioja crianzas for its easy drinking style, sumptuous fleshy red fruits, silky texture and fine tannins. 2017 was a complicated small volume harvest. £18-£19.99 Vinissimus; Amazon; Blas ar Fwyd Cyf; Hoults Wine; Kwoff; Vin Cognito
Rioja Reserva 2015 Marques de Murrieta
I have long been a fan of Murrieta’s traditional style, still focusing mainly on American oak and their own estate fruit. Generous ripe fruits melded with silky tannins; a classy blend of tempranillo, garnacha, mazuelo and graciano made by winemaker Maria Vargas.
£19.99-£24.99, Fraziers Wine; Field & Fawcett; Raeburn Wines; Villeneuve Wines
Rioja Reserva 2012 Valenciso
Very stylish mature Reserva from a small ‘garage’ producer founded just over 20 years ago by Luis Valentin and Carmen Enciso. From a warm dry year; savoury raisiny, sweet red fruit notes, rich and elegant. £19.95-£22.95, Drinkmonger; Noel Young Wines; All About Wine
El Coto Gran Reserva 2014 Coto de Imaz
Star buy
Mature, elegant Gran Reserva at a good price from El Coto, the largest vineyard owner in the region based in Rioja Alavesa. Loved its toasty oak notes, cherry fruit, silky palate and spicy raisiny flavours with almost leathery undertones – from the tricky damp 2014 vintage.
£21.50-£22.99, Cornelius Wine; Valhalla’s Goat; Cave Glasgow; Spey Larder; Provender Brown; Exel Wines; Aitken Wines
Over £25
Rioja Reserva 2014 Finca Valpiedra
This wine features an attractive modern style from this beautifully sited large single vineyard on a bend of Rioja’s famous River Ebro. Very supple, lovely ripe fruits, quite juicy palate with firm tannins in a Bordeaux style; aged for 22 months in French oak. Good effort from the Bujanda family stable.
£28, North South Wines; Hic winemerchants
Rioja Reserva 2016 Roda
Roda’s wines have been impressive right from the start when this modern-day winery was founded a mere 30 years ago. Aged for 18 months in partly new French oak with deep, dark, black cherry notes, green tea flavours and elegant silky tannins.
£26.99/£29.99, Majestic Wine
Rioja Gran Reserva ‘904’ 2011 La Rioja Alta
Star buy
Named in honour of year 1904 when founder Alfredo Ardanza merged with his own Ardanza winery. This 2011 is a gorgeously mature traditional style from an excellent, small volume vintage. Loved its plummy balsamic notes and coffee undertones.
£47, The Wine Society; Lea & Sandeman; Wine Trust
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