Our experts praised Rioja for its incredible value for money in the March 2017 issue of Decanter magazine…
With 50% of wines Highly Recommended and above, and with more than 45% of these wines priced between £20 and £30, this tasting shows Rioja’s strength: diversity, reliability and value. It is undoubtedly one of the most successful Decanter panel tastings of the past decade.
The scores:
191 wines tasted
Exceptional – 0
Outstanding – 8
Highly Recommended – 88
Recommended – 93
Commended – 1
Fair – 1
Poor – 0
Faulty – 0
The judges:
Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW; Sarah Jane Evans MW; Pierre Mansour
Click here to view the tasting notes and scores for all 191 premium red Rioja
Today, if you want to spend £20 or more on a world-class wine, no classic region matches Rioja’s amazing offer. But don’t expect this disparity between high quality and moderate prices to continue indefinitely. Invest now and reap the rewards, says Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW.
Our judges found the two-day tasting extremely difficult, but for good reason: ‘Your body cannot cope with so many good wines,’ said Ballesteros Torres. ‘You have a duty to evaluate these 191 wines in the best possible way, but with such complex wines you need a lot of concentration.’
The eight top-rated premium red Rioja from the panel tasting:
Finca Nueva, Rioja, Gran Reserva, Rioja, 2004
PBT: A rich and savoury example that is amazingly concentrated. The finish is memorable and long, showing that this wine has great…
96
Viñedos de Páganos, Rioja, La Nieta, Rioja, 2014
PBT: Blackberry fruit and dense oak make this an incredibly concentrated and ambitious wine. It is a true extract of old vine Tempranillo, superb in…
96
Bodegas de la Marquesa, Rioja, Valserrano Finca Monteviejo,
PBT: The elegant, restrained aromas open up with impressive power in the mouth, giving an explosion of flavour on top of very…
95
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Dominio, Rioja, Mainland Spain, 2011
PBT: The unique balance that this wine displays gives it a great expression with unsuspected length; an authentic assertion of…
95
La Rioja Alta, Rioja, Viña Ardanza Reserva, Rioja, 2008
PBT: The best classic style of Grenache and Tempranillo pulling together joyful fruit expression and serious depth. In the mouth it is…
95
Navarrsotillo, Rioja, Magister Bibendi Graciano Reserva,
PBT: A vegetal character to the nose, while on the palate it is lovely. Fresh, tannic and serious, it is made for the long run. A very…
95
Ortubia, Rioja, Single Estate Reserva, Rioja, 2007
PBT: A discreet, austere and classy style of Rioja Reserva. Its character is indicative of a cooler climate and it is masterfully…
95
Oxer Bastegieta Zenigaonaindia, Rioja, Suzzane, Rioja, 2013
PBT: A balanced example that has beguiling Mediterranean characters. The chirpy acidity points towards fresh growing areas and hints at a…
95
To read Decanter’s full Panel Tasting reports, subscribe to Decanter magazine – available in print and digital.
Crianza vs Reserva
If there was a complaint, the tasters struggled to see a distinction between the crianza and reserva categories. ‘Crianza and reserva are commercial labels,’ said Ballesteros Torres. ‘What is reserva? In many cases, for the cheaper wines, it is just a crianza that you didn’t sell last year. This should be forbidden.’ Sarah Jane Evans MW agreed: ‘When you have a bodega’s 2011 crianza which is the same age as its 2011 reserva, you wonder why they are still selling the crianza!’
Pierre Mansour, however, felt the terminology was still relevant. ‘One producer’s crianza might be another’s reserva. Once you find a producer whose style you like, you should just follow that producer rather than the age category.’
The Gran Reservas
The jury also felt the gran reservas were sometimes too youthful. ‘When buying a gran reserva, you think you are buying a wine that is already so old that it’s the perfect time to drink it,’ said Evans. ‘But in fact we tasted many wines which had lots of energy and are going to last another 20 years.’
Single varietals and single vineyards
For what is traditionally a blend, Rioja’s varietal wines – a relatively new category – are becoming very serious, said Evans. But it is another layer of confusion for consumers to deal with. ‘Rioja has to find a way to explain that it can do blends, it can do single-varietal wines and also single-vineyard wines. Producers should be able to say, “our Garnacha comes from this particular vineyard in Rioja Baja”.’
Buying advice
Ballesteros Torres advised Decanter readers not to focus so much on the grape varieties, but to look at the producers and prices. ‘Get information about the style of wine from producers’ websites or your wine merchant,’ he said. ‘You may like round, velvety, soft 100% Tempranillos. Maybe you prefer the fruity, fresh style of Garnacha. Perhaps you enjoy the seriousness of Graciano. Or you love a traditional blend. Decide your style first, then go by producer and price.’
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