The Finest Riojas

"Great Rioja, as traditional as it gets, in good quantity and moderate (often plain great) prices."

Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate

Established in 1890, La Rioja Alta is a benchmark producer of traditional Rioja, silky and elegant wines of fantastic complexity that can age exceptionally well.  

Unusual in the region, La Rioja Alta own their vines, with around 360 hectares of vineyards mostly in the northern Alta subregion of Rioja. 

Rioja is all about ageing and La Rioja Alta is all about quality, with their top wines 890 & 904 in only in top vintages (three to four per decade).  They age their wines in the finest American oak barrels, made by their in-house cooper. The ageing process imparts gorgeous mellow notes of vanilla, chocolate, and coconut to wild berry, and bramble fruit, cedar, along with rose, truffle, tobacco, saddle leather, woodsmoke, and an array of spices, and this alluring complexity keeps you coming back for more.  What marks out La Rioja Alta is the impressive fruit and startling freshness of the wines even at their maturity.

The Gran Reserva 904 is aged for 4-5 years in oak with its hallmark elegance and linearity, while the Gran Reserva 890 is their top cuvee, aged for 6-8 years in oak and is more explosive, broad and tannic, according to winemaker José Saenz.  Arana is made in years when 890 and 904 are not made and is more modern in style, while Ardanza is a longstanding favourite and is the only cuvee to contain Garnacha (20-25%) alongside the traditional Tempranillo.  

These are some of the finest values wine from any region, showing stunning aromas and depth and released when they are ready to drink but can be cellared much longer.

 New Releases

Available Summer 2023:

A perfumed nose of plums, mulberries, mushrooms, caramel, sweet tobacco and sweet spices. Full-bodied with velvety, fine tannins and lively acidity. Balanced and supple with a creamy texture. Delicate and precise with a long, polished finish. 90% tempranillo and 10% graciano. Drink or hold.

97  |  James Suckling

The wine epitomizes the classical style of Rioja Alta with long aging in barrel, developed and tertiary wines with a silky palate and a complex and decadent nose of forest floor, truffles, cigar ash and cedar wood. ... They have stopped the last rackings to keep a little more freshness, and the wine feels phenomenal. This has to be one of the finest vintages for this wine. It's drinkable now but should also age for a very long time; it's intense, complex and elegant... This is a very intense 890. Classicism in a bottle.

97  |  Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate

In Stock

Savoury and complex with dried orange peel, cedar and plenty of sweet spices, walnuts, caramel, dried mushrooms and pine needles.  Shows maturity here, with a medium body and superb freshness.  Incredibly long finish with lots of truffle and walnut.  Lasts over a minute.  Very complete now, but you can still hold it.

95  |  James Suckling

Prices shown In Bond, excluding duty & VAT.  Wines available for immediate delivery.
For more information or to place an order, email us.