Hacienda López de Haro: Rioja’s modern classics

Nothing exemplifies this better than Hacienda López de Haro’s Classica range, a special selection of exceptional Gran Reservas that pays tribute to the golden age of Rioja winemaking – wines that should excite all Spanish wine collectors.

Born in the vineyards

Hacienda López de Haro perches on a steep slope overlooking the historic town of San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Here in the foothills of Rioja Alta’s Sierra de Toloño, the winery is surrounded by very old bush vines, some over 100 years old. It’s a very special location: protected from the harsh winds and weather of the Cantabrian Sea, the town produces the winery’s finest Tempranillo, which thrives in the cool climate and limestone soils.

For Garnacha, the winery looks further south, to Alto Najerilla, where old vines grow on clay slopes overlooking the Sierra de la Demanda. For Hacienda López de Haro, everything starts in these vineyards, which provide the high quality fruit that is essential for elegant and balanced wines intended for long ageing.

The Classica range showcases this quality and ageability, produced from the most outstanding vineyards and oldest vines, with an average age of 65-70 years.

Rewarding patience

The Arambarri family, founders of Hacienda López de Haro, created the Classica range as a tribute to Rioja’s history and traditions. Under the stewardship of winemaker Raúl Acha, the son and grandson of Riojan grape growers, the wines have garnered serious critical attention.

Now numbering eight releases, the Classica label has been highly awarded at the Decanter World Wine Awards, as well as in Decanter magazine: the recently released Gran Reserva Rosado 2013 scored an impressive 97 points and was featured in the prestigious Wines of the Year selection in Decanter’s January issue. The judges described it as ‘superb’ and ‘just fascinating’, with ‘rose petal and caramel on the finish.’

The Classica range was created as a tribute to Rioja’s history and traditions.

A blend of Garnacha and Viura, the wine spends four years in French and Eastern European oak before a further five years in bottle before release. This is not only an outstanding wine but also a rare example of a rosé produced with extended oak ageing, which will continue to evolve gracefully with cellaring.

Ageworthy Rioja is the goal that drives the Classica style, and extended barrel-ageing is a key technique: the Gran Reserva Tinto 2005 ages in barrel for three-and-a-half years, and the Gran Reserva Blanco 2014 for three. The results are perfectly balanced, classic Rioja wines with the structure needed to ensure longevity. Only produced in exceptional years, they represent the very best Rioja Gran Reservas available at their price point today.

Cementing their status as cult classics, these wines have also received widespread critical acclaim: at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2024, the Gran Reserva Tinto 2005 scored 94 points, with judges noting its complex ‘notes of earth, forest floor, pencil lead and prunes’ and ‘very elegant and mellowed texture.’ The Gran Reserva Blanco 2014, meanwhile, was praised for its ‘fresh, herbaceous palate’ with ‘chamomile and white pepper undertones’, receiving 91 points.

The maquinistas honoured by the Gran Reserva Tinto 2005 were key to spreading the region’s wines beyond Rioja.

Preserving history

If the heritage of classic Rioja winemaking shapes the Classica wines, it is also proudly announced on their labels, which depict the past pioneers of Rioja that inspired these wines.

Some are individuals: the Gran Reserva Blanco 2014, for example, recognises the achievements of Josette Cordier, a driving force behind the expansion of Rioja exports in the 1960s. The Gran Reserva Tinto 2005, meanwhile, highlights the work of the maquinistas (train engineers) who first transported Rioja wines on the railways and opened the region to the world.

While these wines honour the past, they will provide plenty of future pleasure. They are ready to drink now but will also age beautifully, revealing all their elegance and complexity over time. The Classica wines are not just benchmarks for traditionally crafted Rioja wines – they are ageworthy future classics.