Premium Rioja crianza: Panel tasting results
Rioja crianzas are known for being affordable and accessible, but would higher-priced samples above the £15/$15 mark offer something more? See the results of our 53-wine panel tasting.
Sarah Jane Evans MW, Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW and Pierre Mansour tasted 53 wines with 23 Highly recommended.
Premium Rioja crianza: Panel tasting scores
Exceptional 0
Outstanding 0
Highly recommended 23
Recommended 28
Commended 2
Fair 0
Poor 0
Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit red wines classified as Rioja crianza available in either the UK or the US market priced £15/$15 upwards. A maximum of two different wines per producer were allowed.
Crianza is one of Rioja’s classic categories, successful because it is easy to understand. Basically, it is a wine that has been aged (crianza = ageing, nurturing) in oak. As it is made in Rioja, the oak comes in 225-litre barrels, most likely American or French. The wine must be aged for two years: reds for a minimum of one year in barrel and the rest in bottle, and white or rosado wines for a minimum of six months in barrel and the remainder in bottle.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Premium Rioja crianza panel tasting
As Pierre Mansour noted, for his members at The Wine Society it is a straightforward category. ‘Crianza is understood as a Rioja with oak, with extra ageing,’ he explains. Pricing in the crianza category is keen. For instance, The Wine Society’s most expensive crianza is £12.50, with the lowest priced at £8.50.
The problem, as Pedro Ballesteros MW pointed out, is that ‘unfortunately crianza has become synonymous with cheap Rioja’. In this tasting, we wanted to show a different side to crianza by identifying and awarding wines that showed quality and character above entry level. We therefore decided to blind-taste wines priced at £15 and over.
Worth seeking out
There were no Outstanding (95pts+) wines, but there were 23 wines that we rated as Highly Recommended (90-94 points): expressive, well-made and worth seeking out. The remainder were reliable, if unremarkable. Our overall verdict, expressed by Ballesteros, was that there were some ‘very nice wines, which had preserved the fruit well’. I
t’s worth noting that no bottle scored more than 93. (Indeed, the highest score of the day – 94pts – was for a wine we subsequently discovered did not qualify as a crianza.)
We tasted a few young wines from the 2021 vintage. These did not score highly in general, mainly because of their youth and consequent lack of development. The 2020 wines scored consistently better, reflecting the year, but also benefiting from a little more time in bottle. At the other end of the age spectrum we also tasted wines from 2015 and 2013, and as far back as 2000.
They may have been unexpectedly mature for what is commonly regarded as a typical crianza, but the 2013 and 2000 pleased us all. Crianza is viewed as a category of young wines, but these wines proved that crianzas do not have to be young releases.
See all the Premium Rioja crianza wines from the panel tasting
In general we enjoyed the wines we tasted but were not overwhelmed by them. The important takeaway from this tasting is that while there are fine crianzas, many of them lack the excitement of wines from the same vintage that have been made and aged with different techniques. Rioja is becoming ever more diverse in its winemaking.
Concrete has returned, in different shapes and sizes (tanks, vats, eggs), and oak comes in larger formats. The result is plenty of choice, and stylistic differences too.
Rioja undoubtedly offers choice. Of the two top scorers, Palacios Remondo La Montesa 2020 was a deliciously perfumed, supple Garnacha (95%). By contrast, the Urbina Selección 2000 was a silkily mature Tempranillo, 20 years older. Crianzas both, and yet so different.
Rioja crianza panel tasting scores
The judges
Sarah Jane Evans MW is a Decanter contributing editor and Co-Chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards. Her latest book The Wines of Central and Southern Spain is set for release in early 2024.
Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW is a widely published wine journalist, educator and judge. He holds a degree in agronomical engineering and a Masters in viticulture and oenology, is a national expert for Spain at the OIV organisation and a DWWA joint Regional Chair for Spain.
Pierre Mansour is director of wine at The Wine Society, where he has worked for 23 years. Starting out with merchant Berry Bros & Rudd, he joined The Wine Society in 2000, moved into buying after four years and has been buying The Society’s Spanish wines since 2008.
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Bodegas Urbina, Seleccion 2000, Rioja, Alta, Northern Spain, Spain, 2000
Figs, sous-bois, spice and cedar, with dark blackcurrant fruit, lively acidity and fresh, firm tannins. Refined and mellow, silky and complex. A good example of...
2000
Bodegas UrbinaRioja
Bodegas Palacios Remondo, Finca La Montesa, Rioja, Oriental, Northern Spain, Spain, 2020
Fresh, perfumed and fine. Plums and fresh berry fruit, enhanced by oak, vanilla and cinnamon notes. Warming alcohol, but nicely balanced with an open, fruity...
2020
Bodegas Palacios RemondoRioja
Alberto Orte, La Antigua Clásico, Rioja, Alta, Northern Spain, Spain, 2013
Spicy aromas with mocha notes. Layers of red cherry, citrus and a rasp of tannin. The wood and fruit are well integrated with fine tannins....
2013
Alberto OrteRioja
Bodegas Lan, Xtrème Ecológico, Rioja, Alta, Northern Spain, Spain, 2019
Rich, juicy fruit, with promising aromatics of cassis. Spicy notes from the oak, with a slight rusticity and a rasp of mocha tannins. Glossy and...
2019
Bodegas LanRioja
Bodegas Riojanas, Monte Real Cuvée, Rioja, Alta, Northern Spain, Spain, 2020
A meaty, savoury, inky Crianza. Elegant, fine and intense, with dark cherries and liquorice. Tannins are present but well integrated. Lots of character.
2020
Bodegas RiojanasRioja
Bodega Luis Alegre, Rioja, Alavesa, Northern Spain, Spain, 2020
A stylish, pretty nose that's scented and fine. Red berry fruit and spice on the palate with slightly meaty undertones. Juicy, fresh, and open; a...
2020
Bodega Luis AlegreRioja
Ortega Ezquerro, Rioja, Oriental, Northern Spain, Spain, 2019
A smoky nose of plummy fruit with hints of mocha and oak. Soft and fleshy, very classic in style. Open and expressive with tight tannins...
2019
Ortega EzquerroRioja
Bodegas Ramirez de la Piscina, Rioja, Alta, Northern Spain, Spain, 2020
Rich, fruity and expressive, with precise red berry fruit and tobacco. Weighty yet well-balanced with texture. A smooth finish with grippy tannins.
2020
Bodegas Ramirez de la PiscinaRioja
Bodegas y Viñedos Tobelos, Rioja, Alta, Northern Spain, Spain, 2020
Cedar on the nose with hints of liquorice and bitter cacao. Dense black cherry with juicy black fruit and ripe tannins. Soft with good length...
2020
Bodegas y Viñedos TobelosRioja
Bodegas de la Marquesa, Valserrano, Rioja, Alavesa, Northern Spain, Spain, 2019
Rich yet gentle with harmonious dark mocha and black fruit aromas. Well-integrated, with a savoury finish.
2019
Bodegas de la MarquesaRioja
Luis Cañas, Rioja, Alavesa, Northern Spain, Spain, 2020
Ambitious and youthful, with spicy dark fruit, laden with plum and cranberry. Very generous on the palate, leading to a bold and powerful finish.
2020
Luis CañasRioja
Azpilicueta, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, 2020
Elegant, with hints of spice, red fruit, tobacco and dark fruit. Brisk acidity in the mouth with a savoury edge and grippy tannins. Clean and...
2020
AzpilicuetaRioja
Torre de Oña, Finca San Martín, Rioja, Alavesa, Northern Spain, Spain, 2019
Aromas of red fruit and wild herbs. Sophisticated and complex with tobacco leaf and oak. Stylish and structured, with a long, expressive finish.
2019
Torre de OñaRioja
Bodegas Manzanos, Voché, Rioja, Oriental, Northern Spain, Spain, 2020
Warming, generous, aromatic. Plump, juicy and dense with assertive oak. Black cherry, tar and abundant freshness on the palate. Rich with excellent length.
2020
Bodegas ManzanosRioja
Cosme Palacio, Vino de Laguardia, Rioja, Alavesa, Northern Spain, Spain, 2018
Intense and concentrated, with appealing generous fruit. Succulent blackcurrant with grippy tannins and bright freshness. Cocoa notes on the finish.
2018
Cosme PalacioRioja
Paco García, Rioja, Oriental, Northern Spain, Spain, 2020
Intense and concentrated cassis fruit on the nose. A flamboyant style, with generous ripe fruit. Clean, fruity, ripe and straightforward, slightly on the warm side.
2020
Paco GarcíaRioja
Vallemayor, Tondeluna, Rioja, Alta, Northern Spain, Spain, 2021
A fine nose of fresh quince fruit. Sweet and fleshy black fruit on the palate, with grainy tannins and savoury oak. Balanced and fresh.
2021
VallemayorRioja
Vallemayor, Rioja, Alta, Northern Spain, Spain, 2021
Classic red berry fruit and spicy aromas. Layers of autumn fruit, with underlying piquancy. Fresh with fine texture. A very good classic mid-range Rioja.
2021
VallemayorRioja
Bodegas Santalba, Ermita de San Felices, Rioja, Alta, Northern Spain, Spain, 2019
Expressive aromas of redcurrant and red berries. Ripe and stylish with layers of sweet fruit, rhubarb, dried herbs, gaminess and hints of coconut. Good length.
2019
Bodegas SantalbaRioja
Marqués de Cáceres, Excellens Cuvee Especial, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, 2020
Restrained and elegant with layers of blackberry, dark cherry and rich, dense tannins. Velvety with intense, weighty fruit on the finish.
2020
Marqués de CáceresRioja
Gomez Cruzado, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, 2019
Classic lifted aromas of dark cherry and toasty oak. Subtle and powerful palate with notes of eucalyptus, mint and rich red berries.
2019
Gomez CruzadoRioja
Bodegas Urbina, Rioja, Alta, Northern Spain, Spain, 2015
Expressive mocha and gamey aromas. Developed autumnal notes with touches of spice, toasty oak, dark fruit and a soft, long finish.
2015
Bodegas UrbinaRioja
Bodegas Obalo, La Encina, Rioja, Alavesa, Northern Spain, Spain, 2019
Lively and sumptuous with dark fruit. Toasty oak and a backbone of rich red and black berry fruit notes. A full-bodied finish.
2019
Bodegas ObaloRioja
