Rioja gran reserva: my top 20
There’s no other category like it, offering long-matured wines that are generally ready on release yet can also continue to age steadily for years – the best gran reservas offer quality, and often also extraordinary value, as highlighted by our expert’s selection of 20 of the best.
Not so long ago, gran reserva Rioja’s reputation was as bad as that of cream Sherry. That’s to say, tired wines drunk by elderly drinkers, blanketed (the wines, that is) in old or – in the case of Sherry – very old oak. Thankfully we are in a different world today. The best cream Sherries are deliciously silky treats, while gran reserva has been reborn in a range of different styles.
According to the textbooks, gran reservas were only aged in American oak barrels. In my selection there are indeed 100% American oak wines (notably the 890 and 904 from La Rioja Alta). Yet read the small print: many others now use 100% French oak, or a blend of the two.
Scroll down to see Sarah Jane Evans MW’s top 20 Rioja gran reserva wines
Secondly, a textbook gran reserva used to be a blend of varieties, based on Tempranillo, with smaller amounts of Graciano and Garnacha, plus potentially also Mazuelo and the white Viura. Again, read the small print, and you will find a quarter of the wines I have selected here are 100% Tempranillo.
Rioja: what is a gran reserva?
A gran reserva is a wine that has been aged in oak barrels and bottles for 60 months or more, with a minimum ageing in oak barrels of two years followed and complemented by a minimum of two years in the bottle. To fulfil the oak needs of Rioja’s wineries, at the last count published, for 2020, there were 1,371,679 barrels in Rioja’s cellars – an increase of nearly 15,000 over the previous year.
Staying power
There are some wonderfully tertiary gran reservas, delightfully revealing fine leather, ripe red fruit, and supple tannins. As they have already had five years of ageing, nearly all are ready to drink, and many of them have long lives ahead. But if you prefer a young, more vivid and deeply coloured style, then there are a number of those too.
Gran reserva is a striking category, encompassing wines that in the best cases can last for 50 years and more. Yet it is a niche: in 2020, according to the Rioja consejo regulador’s annual report, total sales of red gran reserva were 68,600.65hl, of which 50,548.85hl went to export. (In comparison, total sales of reserva in the same year were more than 433,800hl.) Who buys gran reserva? Wine lovers in the UK, with some 11,141hl in 2020, and in Switzerland with 9,363hl – the US, Sweden and Germany follow some way behind.
Compiling this list was more complicated than I had first imagined. The top 10 fell into place quickly. One producer in the top 10 specialises in gran reservas (La Rioja Alta); while for others, gran reserva is typically one wine in a more complex portfolio. The second 10 were a much more difficult selection. There were a number of wines that I could have picked hovering between 90-93pts, covering a range of different styles and types. There is no single recipe for gran reserva now.
Sarah Jane Evans MW’s selection of Rioja gran reserva wines
Related articles
- Top Riojas to enjoy this winter
- Rioja’s rising stars: the winemakers to watch out for
- Expert’s choice: White Rioja
Bodegas Muga, Prado Enea, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2015
Wonderful: a superb Gran Reserva, so finely balanced between the silky tannins and the elegance of maturity. It's fermented in oak, and spends three years...
2015
Bodegas MugaRioja Gran Reserva
La Rioja Alta, Gran Reserva 890, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2010
I must confess that I find it hard to be objective about the 890, which is one of my all-time favourites, and 2010 is a...
2010
La Rioja AltaRioja Gran Reserva
Marques de Murrieta, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2011
Look at an early bottle of this wine and you will see that it was labelled Château Ygay. However, eventually France complained – hence the...
2011
Marques de MurrietaRioja Gran Reserva
R Lopez de Heredia, Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2001
María José López de Heredia and her family are custodians of a remarkable way of living in the wine world, resisting the pressures to do...
2001
R Lopez de HerediaRioja Gran Reserva
Bodega Classica, Lopez de Haro Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2004
Clearly a lively attempt to emulate the old-style Gran Reservas, drawing on old bush-vine Tempranillo from the Sierra de Toloño and Garnacha from Cárdenas. The...
2004
Bodega ClassicaRioja Gran Reserva
Bodegas Hermanos Peciña, Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2011
If you like really well made classic Rioja, then put the Peciña brothers on your list. They do it all the traditional way – American...
2011
Bodegas Hermanos PeciñaRioja Gran Reserva
Bodegas Urbina, Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2004
To be frank, the label design of this Gran Reserva Especial bottle is not anything particularly 'especial'. But don't delay, for inside the wine is...
2004
Bodegas UrbinaRioja Gran Reserva
CVNE, Imperial Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2016
CVNE makes a number of Gran Reservas but this stands head and shoulders above the rest. As one of the great Gran Reservas, Rioja lovers...
2016
CVNERioja Gran Reserva
Remelluri, Granja Remelluri Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2015
Telmo Rodríguez has been winning deserved plaudits for his ethereal Garnachas, but here in the family winery he proves that he can tempt the best...
2015
RemelluriRioja Gran Reserva
La Rioja Alta, Gran Reserva 904, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2011
I could not resist including the cousins: La Rioja Alta 890 and 904. I am devoted to 890, but I know that 904 has many...
2011
La Rioja AltaRioja Gran Reserva
Marques de Murrieta, Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2015
Marqués de Murrieta spoils the Rioja lover for choice, with Gran Reserva Especial as well as this fine Gran Reserva, and a very delicious reserva....
2015
Marques de MurrietaRioja Gran Reserva
Campillo, Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2014
A bright, polished, ambitious wine, with layers of classic cranberries, cherries and redcurrants. There's a line of piquant acidity, which adds interest, and the tannin...
2014
CampilloRioja Gran Reserva
Contino, Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2015
Contino is famous for its wonderfully sited vineyard, and for being a very early adopter of Graciano as a single variety. Two years after this...
2015
ContinoRioja Gran Reserva
Bodegas de la Marquesa, Valserrano Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2015
The winery was founded in the 19th century, and has the underground cellars so typical of the region. Its vineyards are clustered around Villabuena in...
2015
Bodegas de la MarquesaRioja Gran Reserva
Bodegas Santalba, Viña Hermosa Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2005
Santalba's vineyards are clustered near Haro in Rioja Alta, and its winery is in nearby Gimileo. The wine enters the mouth supple and smooth, showcasing...
2005
Bodegas SantalbaRioja Gran Reserva
El Piadoso, Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2014
Made by Bodegas Manzanos, which has 250ha of vineyard resources including sites around four towns in Rioja Oriental, which otherwise scarcely figures in this selection...
2014
El PiadosoRioja Gran Reserva
Cosme Palacio, Glorioso Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2016
Aromas of dark berries and lightly smoky oak; palate is equally full of fruit, with spices and a lively freshness. Finishes with a grip of...
2016
Cosme PalacioRioja Gran Reserva
El Coto, Coto de Imaz Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2016
El Coto was founded in 1970 and grew steadily to become one of Spain's largest brands, now with more than 700ha of vineyard holdings across...
2016
El CotoRioja Gran Reserva
Bodegas Bilbaínas, Viña Pomal Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2014
Dark and brooding Rioja, with distinct toasty note, and an oxidative character. The firm tannins give a bold structure, beneath the dark fruit. One to...
2014
Bodegas BilbaínasRioja Gran Reserva
Bodegas Zugober, Belezos Gran Reserva, Rioja Gran Reserva, Northern Spain, Spain, 2013
Classic maturity here: all that you might want to enjoy with forest floor and dark fruit aromas. In the mouth find the dark chocolate, red...
2013
Bodegas ZugoberRioja Gran Reserva
