10 great Rioja crianza wines to try
Affordable and accessible, Rioja crianzas offer great value for money and plenty of drinking pleasure. Decanter recommends 10 top bottles
For many wine lovers, their first taste of Rioja is a crianza. Made as quality everyday drinking wines and sold at affordable prices, crianzas are the accessible and crowd-pleasing face of Rioja.
What is a Rioja crianza?
‘Crianza’ refers to the ageing regulations for red wines set out by the region’s wine control board, the Consejo Regulador DOCa Rioja. These state that a crianza must be aged for a minimum of one year in barrel and one year in bottle before release.
In contrast – and stepping up in quality and price – a reserva must be aged for at least one year in barrel and two in bottle. While a gran reserva spends at least two years in oak and three in bottle.
In reality, top producers often age their wines for longer than these minimum requirements, meaning that you can find astonishingly good quality in the region’s top Riojas.
Rioja also produces a fourth category of ‘genérico’ wines, simply labelled ‘Rioja’. These wines don’t have to be aged, meaning they are generally more fruit-forward styles, not influenced by oak. This category (which used to be called joven) gave winemakers scope to produce more terroir-driven wines.
It paved the way for the introduction of a vineyard-led classification system, Viñedos Singulares, announced in 2017 – a move that led to heated debate in the region.
Understanding these regulatory terms is a useful way to work out what style of Rioja you prefer. To learn more about the taste profile of crianzas, why not start with one of these recommendations…
Ten great Rioja crianzas to try
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La Rioja Alta, Torre de Oña Finca San Martín Crianza, Rioja, Alta, Northern Spain, Spain, 2016
Pure Tempranillo, with lovely big juicy succulence. Very pure with minimal oak flavour – a different style to the La Rioja Alta caricature. Cherry and...
2016
La Rioja AltaRioja
Biurko Gorri, Biurko Crianza, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, 2015
91
Supremely rich and vibrant cassis, mulberry and smoky, toasty oak persist through to the textured, lively finish.
2015
Biurko GorriRioja
Bodegas Montecillo, Montecillo Crianza, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, 2016
91
Broad, generous red cherry fruit with layers of smoke and spice, a grip of savoury tannin and an expressive finish.
2016
Bodegas MontecilloRioja
Bodegas Ontañón, Crianza, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, 2015
Aromas of bramble fruit with spice and lightly floral notes. On the palate, plum and blackberry flavours are given focus by lively acidity, courtesy of...
2015
Bodegas OntañónRioja
Landaluce, Fincas de Landaluce Crianza, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, 2016
91
Wonderful clarity of red fruit, charcoal and tarry oak; textured and rich with a velvety structure and a long, smooth finish.
2016
LandaluceRioja
Viña Ijalba, Crianza, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, 2016
91
Plums and cassis contrast nicely with savoury smoky bacon notes; dense and succulent with a long velvety finish.
2016
Viña IjalbaRioja
Bodegas Palacios Remondo, La Montesa Crianza, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, 2016
92
The homecoming of Alvaro Palacios was greeted with fanfare and a reappraisal of his family’s winemaking style. Now the grapes are sourced from higher in the hills, yields are lower and oaking is minimal. The result is fresh and pure, a symphony of red fruit with a backdrop of soft spice and silk.
2016
Bodegas Palacios RemondoRioja
Bodegas Ramón Bilbao, Crianza, Rioja, Spain, 2017
90
A great value Rioja, with aromas of spicy black berries and toasty notes from 14 months in American oak. The palate is taut and fresh, with smooth black fruit and plenty of spice, interlaced with hints of coffee and a savoury note.
2017
Bodegas Ramón Bilbao
Burgo Viejo, Crianza, Rioja, Rioja, Spain, 2017
Founded in 1987 by six wine-growing families, today the Burgo Viejo co-op makes wines from 16 growers with 200ha of vineyards in Rioja Oriental. This...
2017
Burgo ViejoRioja
CVNE, Viña Real Crianza, Rioja, Spain, 2017
89
Spicy black berries and red cherries on the nose with a prickle of liquorice. The palate is fresh and juicy but with nice depth to the lingering finish and rounded tannins. A crowd-pleasing Rioja; perfect for sausage and mash or tomato-based pasta dishes.
2017
CVNE
