Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva
$51.99
Baron de Ley Gran Reserva
$43.99
93 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate! The review: "The 2004 Gran Reserva is a mouth-filling, opulent effort from the great 2004 vintage that straddles the line between traditional and modern-style Rioja. It offers up a soaring perfume of wood smoke, pencil lead, exotic spices, lavender, and blackberry that leads to a dense, impeccably balanced, lengthy effort that has the structure to evolve for 5-7 years."
Muga Rioja Reserva
$36.99
The red 2012 Reserva is always a blend of Tempranillo with some 20% Garnacha, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo from the lower part of the valley of the Oja-Tirón river. 2012 saw good ripeness, and the wine shows it, but doesn't show any excess. The vinification is as classic as it gets: the grapes ferment with natural yeasts with a 'pied de cuve' and the wine matured in new barriques the first year; it was then transferred to well-seasoned barrels for a further year of upbringing. It still feels quite oaky with some smoky aromas and some notes of roasted sesame seeds. The palate is lush and round, with polished tannins. This is a textbook Rioja at a very good price for the quality it delivers. This wine should be readily available, as it's produced in good quantities, close to one million bottles, which for this quality is impressive. 91+ Robert Parker
Valenciso Rioja Reserva
$62.99
"Modern delicious Rioja," according to Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, which gives it a wonderful 93 points! The review: "The 2006 Reserva has a classic, very pure bouquet of warm leather, dried herbs and dark berry fruit, and it offers scents of melted tar with continued aeration. The palate is very harmonious with succulent red cherries, mulberry and dried fig, with subtle white pepper notes sprinkled over the finish. This constitutes a worthy follow-up to the superb 2005 and will have the same propensity to age. Drink now-2025."
Ortega Ezquerro Tudelilla Crianza
$28.99
Their story began with Quintín Ortega in 1986. A humble figure with some good ideas and the determination to carry them out, he decides to plant vines and start what is now the winery, led by his great-grandson, Carmelo Ortega. In the 90s, Carmelo established the winery headquarters in an old house that served as a winery for many years, now a site where an enotourism project is being developed to encourage tourism in the region. Their property covers approximately 700 hectares of scrubland, almond fields and vineyards, all of which are sheltered by the nearby mountains, which create climatic conditions that include a reduced risk of frost and a controlled level of humidity in the summer. This set of features and factors, together with the characteristics of the soil (pebbles, low organic matter), creates a unique grape-growing microcosm, which has allowed them to develop the “village wine” style they are looking for to define the wines of Tudelilla (the village where they are situated in the heart of the Rioja Baja region).
This tasty Rioja is a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Viura that goes through Carbonic Maceration, resulting in a fresh, juicy red with notes of wild strawberry, raspberry, and a hint of spice.
Basilio Acodo Tinto
$51.99
Basilio Izquierdo is a prominent figure in the Spanish wine industry, having spent 32 years as the head winemaker at CVNE, a highly respected brand in Rioja. In 2007, he established Bodegas Basilio Izquierdo with a vision to craft wines that reflect a modern interpretation of Rioja. His mission focuses on sourcing grapes from unique vineyards that are over 40 years old, utilizing his four decades of expertise to create exceptional wines. This dedication has led to the creation of the “Basilio inventions” label, featuring small batches of exclusive wines that are seldom found outside of Spain.
In 2016, Basilio was recognized as one of the 50 exceptional winemakers globally, standing out among over 2,500 winemakers.
Olivier Riviere Mirando Rioja Blanc
$124.99
Cognac-born consultant winemaker and viticulturist Olivier Rivière was lured to Spain in 2004 by Telmo Rodriguez to convert his vineyards to biodynamics. He ended up falling in love with the traditions and grapes of the country, and now farms 25 hectares of owned and contracted vineyards in Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja, Rioja Alavesa, and the up-and-coming DO of Arlanza. He served as a winemaker at Domaine Leroy in Burgundy and his wines show great elegance and power
Mirando al Sur comes from his own vineyards cultivated using organic principles in the village of Labastida. These are old vines aged over 50 years old and planted in gravel and pebble soils at more than 500 metres above sea level.