Introduced in the 2020 vintage, the Gran Vino de Rueda stamp marks the culmination of efforts to create a way to differentiate wines produced from Rueda’s oldest vineyards and designed to be consumed with more time in bottle (an extremely pertinent quest, as discussed here). Yields and conversion ratios are limited (maximum 6.500kg/ha and 65% grape to must, respectively) and the wine must remain in bottle for a minimum of one year prior to release.
In my view, this category is particularly important not because of the wines themselves but because it highlights and helps to preserve the viticultural patrimony from which they are crafted.
That said, Gran Vino de Rueda (currently produced by 32 producers, although not necessarily released by all in every vintage) now counts an array of wines that truly impress, showing character, great potential to age in bottle and inherent gastronomic appeal.
Although some producers use wood, the distinct structural framework delivered by old-vine fruit is there regardless of fermentation/ageing vessel. Indeed, Verdejo has, in my opinion, limited affinity with oak, which can easily overpower the aromatic nuance and vivid acid for which the variety is known. Deployed correctly, however, it can help soften Verdejo’s – at times uncompromising – edginess.
Gran Vino de Rueda labels show great depth, classical poise and nuanced development. It’s fascinating to experience the unexpected places Verdejo goes to with age, emerging with moreish nuttiness, herbal fragrance and even the richness of red orchard fruit, defying the usual assumptions about Verdejo.
I would have liked to see more daring propositions, willing to deploy the same inventiveness shown by some of the alternative takes on Verdejo. Perhaps there’s a fear of betraying typicity and the classical promise of a ‘great wine’. This is a fear that neither producers nor the tasting panel approving the GVR stamp should have: the imprint of Verdejo grown on Rueda’s best vineyards is strong enough to withstand – and indeed merits – greater exploration of winemaking possibilities.
Top-scoring Gran Vino de Rueda to try:
Cuatro Rayas, Cuarenta Vendimias Cuvée 2023
96pts
Elegant, energetic; will surely improve in bottle. The gentle smokiness of roasted Marcona almonds outlines yellow apple, pineapple and quince, sprinkled with cardamom, coriander seeds and chopped parsley. Fragrant thyme, wild flowers and fresh hay on the long finish. Alc 12.5%
Bodegas Félix Lorenzo Cachazo, Carrasviñas Félix 2022
Seeking UK distributor.
96pts
An idiosyncratic take on Verdejo, intense and poised, combining nutty and herbal allure. Hay, linden and camomile hover over guava, crunchy quince, conference pear and yellow apple. Delicious savoury grip on the f inish with notes of pickled walnuts and green apple peel. Alc 13%
Arroyo Izquierdo, Araquín 2024
95pts
Evocative Verdejo with a Burgundian poise. The wood gives toasty definition to Verdejo’s ripe, fleshy yellow orchard fruit. Welcome florality and fragrance throughout. A wine that will surely develop beautifully in bottle with its intense pear, quince and yellow apple framed by vivid smokiness. Alc 13%
Garciarévalo, Harenna 2023
Seeking UK distributor.
95pts
A wine with energy and character. A f iligreed herbaceous frame around quince, pear and crunchy pineapple. Strong verve and a really long finish of pink grapefruit, Asian pear and guava, sprinkled with fennel and coriander seeds. Yum. Will be interesting to see how it evolves. Alc 13%
Diez Siglos, Momento Diez Verdejo 2024
94pts
Generous and moreish with an opulent creaminess coating the palate. Lemon curd, pear jam, yellow apple pie and frangipane topped with almond flakes and fennel seeds. A tingling spicy edge adds vividness and definition. Smart use of wood for the subtlest smoky veil. Alc 14%
Bodega Eresma, Eresma+ Cuvée Especial 2020
Seeking UK distributor.
94pts
Top notes of fennel and coriander seeds, Toasted almonds, green olive brine, wet hay, wild flowers, sautéed asparagus and fennel on the palate. A touch of pickled walnuts adds a savoury edge. Chiseled drive. Fan-like finish with perfumed rose petals, coriander and apple peel. Alc 13%
Marqués de Riscal, Finca Montico 2024
94pts
Alluring, subtle nose of wild flowers, white peach, russet apple and hay, followed on the palate by crunchy pineapple and pear. Good weight on the mid palate with intense orchard fruit offset by citrus zestiness. Pleasant bitter almond on the back palate. Organic certified. Alc 13%
Bodegas Naia, Náiades 2022
94pts
Interesting counterpoint between sweet and savoury flavours, layering honeyed almonds, hazelnut shell, pickled walnuts, cooked pear, glazed pineapple, and apple strudel, under a saline veil of asparagus, artichoke and green olive. Finely etched in hay and dried wild flowers. Spicy tingling rim of white and black pepper. Alc 14%
Bodegas Shaya, Habis 2023
Seeking UK distributor.
94pts
Camphor, jasmine, saffron and a touch of incense hover over the ripe, juicy pear, quince, yellow apple, nectarine and quince. Savoury veil of toasted cardamom seeds, fennel and nutmeg. Finish of turmeric and curry leaf with a tingling rim of white pepper. Alc 13%
Vinos Sanz, Finca La Colina El Vencejo 2022
Seeking UK distributor.
94pts
So saline and briny on the nose: a Fino-like edge of green apple, smoked anchovies and red apple peel. The same moreishness on the palate; green olive brine invites a second sip, drenching the core of pear, guava and green apple. A different side of Verdejo, not for everyone but so appealing for the converts. Alc 12.5%
Bodegas y Viñedos Yllera, Meraldis Verdejo Vinificación Integral 2023
Seeking UK distributor.
93pts
Deft use of wood providing an elegant, smoky framework to the fleshy melon, papaya, mango and yellow orchard fruit. At the very core, white grapefruit pithiness gives the wine welcome energy. Long finish with an elegant finish of toasted almonds and guava. Alc 13%
Castelo de Medina, Verdejo Vendimia Seleccionada 2024
93pts
A peppery and nutty edge gives chiseled precision to the crispy pear and yellow apple flavours. Meaty blanched Marcona almonds fill the mid palate while flaky almond croissant adds both richness and poise. Alc 13.5%
De Alberto, Edición Limitada 80 Aniversario 2023
Seeking UK distributor.
93pts
Blanched almonds, white peach and yellow apple mingle on the palate with both fluidity and energy. Great tension between the zesty acid and the fleshy orchard fruit. Sweet, generous quality to finish with lingering quince, melon and preserved lemon for a welcome saline twist. Alc 13%
Bodegas Félix Sanz, Piedras de Cimbrón 2022
Seeking UK distributor.
93pts
A characterful, earthy, textural Verdejo: outstanding food-friendly appeal. Assertive hazelnut and pickled walnuts give moreish vividness to a fleshy core of nectarine, red apple, guava and cooked quince, drenched in pink grapefruit and rhubarb juice. Long clementine zest finish. Alc 13.5%
Herrero Bodega, José María Herrero 2020
Seeking UK distributor.
93pts
It will be interesting to see how this Verdejo ages: surely bringing out more fleshy nuttiness and herbal allure. Poised and elegant, layering frangipane, buttered toast, lemon curd, cooked pear, wet hay, wild flowers and apple blossom. Long bitter almond and white grapefruit pith finish. Alc 13%
Tres Pilares, Hermanos Fernández 2023
Seeking UK distributor.
93pts
Lovely toastiness and broody herbaceousness. Playful and deep, layering ripe yellow apple, cooked pear, preserved lemon, frangipane and apple pie. Moreish density, with a refreshing, earthy layer of wet hay and wet clay. Great sense of place. Organic certified. Alc 13.5%
Cuatro Rayas | Cuarenta Vendimias Cuvée | 2023 | 96 | Elegant and energetic, this is a wine that will surely improve in bottle. The gentle smokiness of roasted Marcona almonds outlines the yellow apple, pineapple and quince fruit. Sprinkled abundantly with cardamom, coriander seeds and chopped parsley. Fragrant thyme, wild flowers and fresh hay hover and linger on the long finish. |
Bodegas Félix Lorenzo Cachazo | Carrasviñas Félix | 2022 | 96 | An idiosyncratic take on Verdejo, intense and poised, combining nutty and herbal allure. Hay, linden and camomile mingle playfully and hover over guava, crunchy quince, conference pear and yellow apple. Delicious savoury grip on the finish with a tail of pickled walnuts and green apple peel. |
Arroyo Izquierdo | Araquín | 2024 | 95 | Evocative Verdejo with a vivid Burgundian poise. The wood gives toasty definition to Verdejo's ripe, fleshy fruit yellow orchard fruit. Welcome florality and fragrance throughout. A wine that will surely develop beautifully in bottle with its intense pear, quince and yellow apple fruit framed by vivid smokiness. |
Harenna | Verdejo Edición Limitada | 2023 | 95 | A wine with energy and character, with a filigreed herbaceous frame around the quince, pear and crunchy pineapple fruit. Strong verve and a really long finish of pink grapefruit, Asian pear and guava, sprinkled with fennel and coriander seeds. Yum. Will be interesting to see how it evolves in bottle. |
Bodegas y Viñedos Yllera | Meraldis Verdejo Vinificación Integral | 2023 | 94 | Deft use of wood providing an elegant, smoky framework to the fleshy melon, papaya, mango and yellow orchard fruit. At the very core, white grapefruit pithiness gives the wine welcome energy. Long finish with an elegant tail of toasted almonds and guava. |
Marqués de Riscal | Finca Montico | 2024 | 94 | Alluring, subtle nose of wild flowers, white peach, russet apple and hay, followed on the palate by crunchy pineapple and pear. Good weight on the mid-palate with intense orchard fruit offset by citrus zestiness. Pleasant bitter almond on the back palate. Organic certified. |
Bodega Eresma | Eresma+ Cuvée Especial | 2020 | 94 | Beautiful top notes of fennel and coriander seeds. Toasted almonds, green olive brine, wet hay, wild flowers, sautéed asparagus and fennel mingle on the palate. A touch of pickled walnuts adds a savoury edge. Lovely chiseled drive on the mid palate followed by a fan-like finish with a lovely bouquet of rose petals, fresh coriander and apple peel. |
Vinos Sanz | Finca La Colina El Vencejo | 2022 | 94 | So saline and briny on the nose, with a Fino-like edge of green apple, smoked anchovies and red apple peel. It follows on the palate with the same moreishness; green olive brine invites a second sip, drenching the pear, guava and green apple fruit at the core. Very characterful. A different side of Verdejo, not for everyone but so appealing and appetising for the converts. |
Diez Siglos | Momento Diez Verdejo | 2024 | 94 | Generous and moreish with an opulent creaminess coating the palate. Lemon curd, pear jam, yellow apple pie and frangipane topped with almond flakes and fennel seeds. A tingling spicy edge adds vividness and definition. Smart use of wood for the subtlest smoky veil. |
Bodegas Shaya | Habis | 2023 | 94 | Camphor, jasmine, saffron and a touch on incense hover over the ripe, juicy pear, quince, yellow apple, nectarine and quince. Savoury veil of toasted cardamom seeds, fennel and nutmeg. Tail of turmeric and curry leaf with a tingling rim of white pepper. |
Bodegas Naia | Náiades | 2022 | 94 | Interesting counterpoint between sweet and savoury flavours, layering honeyed almonds, hazelnut shell, pickled walnuts, cooked pear, glazed pineapple, and apple strudel, under a saline veil of asparagus, artichoke and green olive. Finely etched in hay and dried wild flowers. Spicy tingling rim of white and black pepper. |
Rodríguez y Sanzo | Clavius | 2020 | 94 | Remarkable definition and verve for a 2020. Guava, white grapefruit pith, bitter almond, crispy pear and pineapple are layered masterfully on the palate. Lovely fleshy grip throughout. Touches of buttered toast and almond croissant – all very well integrated and moreish. Long nutty finish. A wine to enjoy with food. |
Tres Pilares | Hermanos Fernandez | 2023 | 93 | Lovely toastiness and broody herbaceousness. Playful and deep, layering ripe yellow apple, cooked pear, preserved lemon, frangipane and apple pie. Moreish density, with a refreshing, earthy layer of wet hay and wet clay. Great sense of place. Organic certified. |
Herrero Bodega | José María Herrero | 2020 | 93 | It will be interesting to see where this Verdejo goes with age, as it will surely bring out more of its fleshy nuttiness and alluring herbal edge. Poised and elegant, playfully layering frangipane, buttered toast, lemon curd and cooked pear with wet hay, wild flowers and apple blossom. Long finish, with a long tail of bitter almond and white grapefruit pith. |
Bodega Emina | Verdejo Selección Cuvée | 2024 | 93 | Wet clay, wet hay and dried white flowers, with a lively, intriguing rim of dried rose petals, smoked paprika and black pepper, mingle on the nose. Long alluring finish with a tail of nutmeg and roasted coriander and fennel seeds. Idiosyncratic wine, with texture and personality that leverages Verdejo's herbaceousness through moreish earthiness. |
Bodegas Féliz Sanz | Piedras de Cimbrón | 2022 | 93 | A characterful, earthy, textural Verdejo, with outstanding food-friendly appeal. An assertive outline of fleshy hazelnut and pickled walnuts gives moreish vividness to the fleshy core of nectarine, red apple, guava and cooked quince. All drenched in pink grapefruit and rhubarb juice. Long tail of clementine zest. |
Arroyo Izquierdo | Mus | 2024 | 93 | Interesting interplay between savoury nuttiness and herbaceous oregano, thyme and tarragon, on the one hand, and fleshy citrus, melon and grapefruit on the other. Creamy poise with moreish glazed almonds and marmalade on the mid-palate. A peppery edge (white pepper, fennel and cardamom seeds) frames the ripe apple, nectarine and peach fruit. |
Castelo de Medina | Verdejo Vendimia Seleccionada | 2024 | 93 | A peppery and nutty edge gives chiseled precision to the crispy pear and yellow apple flavours. Meaty blanched Marcona almonds fill the mid-palate while flaky almond croissant adds both richness and poise. |
Vinos Sanz | Finca la Colina Fermentado en Barrica | 2024 | 93 | Ripe guava, quince, crispy pear and yellow apple peel fill the palate, framed by the beautifully integrated wood. Toasted almonds, layered throughout with moreish ease. Biting fleshiness. Lovely toasty grip to the finish, with lingering almond saltiness and crispy pear. |
Bodega Eresma | Eresma+ Fermentado en Barrica | 2023 | 93 | Really elegant, with wildflower honey, beeswax, yellow apple, pear peel and quince emerging from the glass. Nectarine, preserved lemon, lemon curd and glazed pineapple sit effortlessly on the mid-palate, sprinkled abundantly with dill and lemon balm. Long honeyed finish. |
De Alberto | Edición Limitada 80 Aniversario | 2023 | 93 | Blanched almonds, white peach and yellow apple mingle on the palate with both fluidity and energy. Great tension between the zesty acid and the fleshy orchard fruit. Sweet, generous quality to finish with lingering quince, melon and preserved lemon for a welcome saline twist. |
Castelo de Medina | Sauvignon Blanc Vendimia Seleccionada | 2024 | 93 | Great definition and energy in this characterful, elegant take on Sauvignon Blanc. Vivid rim of lime zest, curry leaf and jalapeño, around a core of blanched almonds, Golden Delicious apples, conference pear and cooked quince. Moreish and food-friendly. Long tail of linden, camomile and apple blossom. |
Beronia | Laslias de Beronia | 2024 | 93 | Detailed, well-sculpted intensity in a wine led by fleshy pear, quince and guava. Great dynamic presence on the mid-palate offset by gentle, zesty fluidity. Wet clay minerality. Zesty outline, with lemon peel, crunchy pear and green apple flesh on the rim. Lovely fleshy grip to the finish. |
Palacio de Bornos | Colección de Familia Sergio Hernández | 2023 | 93 | A wine with a lot of character, driven by the mineral purity outlining the citrus and white orchard fruit. Fluid, round edges to the crunchy pear, green apple, quince and guava. Salty grip on the mid-palate, with preserved lemon moreishness dominating the wine's profile and verve with saline assertiveness. |
Cuatro Rayas | Amador Diez | 2020 | 93 | Remarkable definition and transparency, through a pithy veil. Great bite to the white grapefruit, guava, Meyer lemon and quince fruit. Still so much life in it – will surely develop in bottle with much nutty complexity ready to come through. Touches of dried thyme, oregano, lemon balm and linden. Begging for medium-cured cheeses. |
Bodega Eresma | Eresma+ Cuvée Especial | 2023 | 92 | Touch of pickled walnuts and beeswax in this wine unpretentious, alluring wine, with great focus and a moreish weight on the mid palate, dominated by unctuous lemon curd and earthy wet hay. Long tail of meaty walnuts and hazelnuts. |
Marqués de Riscal | Limousin | 2024 | 92 | Complex and moreish, layering cooked red apple, crispy pear and quince, all topped by lemon zest, apple blossom, jasmine and wild meadow flowers. Moreish, smoky touch of glazed pineapple at the core. Long, tingling tail marrying smokiness with spice. |
Saturnino Cantalapiedra | Saturnino Verdejo | 2022 | 92 | Blanched almonds, pear, guava, crunchy pineapple, wet hay and frangipane are deftly layered in a wine that is both complex and invitingly approachable. Wood is well worked adding smoky and toasty detail to the ripe core. |
Castelo de Medina | Verdejo Prefiloxérico | 2021 | 92 | A characterful wine, briny, nutty and earthy. Green olive brine drenches the juicy red apple, white and pink grapefruit, quince and guava. Fluid yet edgy, with a rim of thyme, camomile and hay and refreshing acid verve throughout. |
Viñas Murillo | Chapirete Prefiloxérico | 2024 | 91 | Great density at the core, with crunchy pear, Fuji apple and guava, outlined by tingling rim of lime zest and white grapefruit juice. Touches of wet grass, dried hay and white asparagus give it a herbal nuance. |
Viñas Murillo | Chapirete Fermentado en Barrica | 2021 | 91 | Fragrant top notes of almond, camphor, sandalwood and dry roses. The palate is intense yet focused with good length and definition. Lovely peach, pear and cooked quince flesh on a bed of frangipane and marzipan. Lovely herbaceous rim of freshly cut grass, asparagus and thyme. |
Protos | Verdejo Reserva | 2021 | 91 | Good balance of freshness and development. Moreish pickled walnut, cooked apple, pink peach, nectarine, yellow apple and toasted almonds are woven on the palate, with briny artichoke playing in the background. Pleasant weight on the mid-palate. |
Oro de Castilla | Finca Los Hornos | 2023 | 89 | Rich and moreish, with a tropical slant, this sits weighty on the palate, filling the mouth with beeswax, glazed almonds, papaya, mango, melon, nectarine and red apple. |
Tasting was carried at the Rueda Consejo Regulador headquarters in Rueda in March 2026 by Ines Salpico (Decanter Regional Editor for Spain, Portugal and South America). While the costs were kindly underwritten by the DO Rueda (dorueda.com), all of the content produced for this guide remains independent.
Discover more about DO Rueda: dorueda.com
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Discover more from the Rueda report 2026:
Rueda report 2026: An introduction to the region's landscape and vines
Rueda report 2026: Verdejo's essence
Rueda report 2026: Sauvignon Blanc
