Cune 2009 Rioja Gran Reserva
The wines of C.V.N.E. (or Cune) will always have a warm place in my heart. They are classical Rioja, and their Gran Reserva stands the test of time. If you have …
Rioja
Contino 2007 Gran Reserva Rioja
CVNE A number of years ago, I was fortunate enough to have a one-on-one tasting with Maria Larrea, the CVNE winemaker. A wonderfully gracious woman, she took me through her entire portfolio …
Montecillo 2008 Rioja Reserva
If I could figure out a way to turn the Wine School into a religious institution (think of it: best communion ever!), Rioja would be one of our holy lands. It’s …
Bodegas Eguia 2008 “Vina Eguia” Crianza
Our readers may be familiar with Bodegas Eguia, as we gave a high rating to one of their Rioja Reservas a few years back. This is the Crianza, which by definition …
Heras Cordón 2005 Rioja Reserva
Winemaking in Rioja has a contradictory vein: winemakers tend to use classic techniques and grape varietals to make modern wines. Heras Cordon is a relatively new winery in Rioja Alta, being …
Bodega Baigorri 2005 Crianza Rioja
A Spanish Wine Review A beautiful Rioja with an aroma of cigar box and toasted cinnamon. Flavors of vanilla and espresso dominate the attack. On the mid-palate, mineral and red cherry …
Cuna de Reyes 2009 Rioja Crianza (Spain)
Aged for a year in French and American oak, this wine is mostly Tempranillo with some Garnacha and Mazuelo. Grapes are sourced from vineyards in Nájera, in the southern edge of Rioja …
Bodegas Dios Ares 2008 Crianza Rioja
One the nose, cardamon, and lavender play with a nub of burnt vanilla, following a sweet hit of black fruit. The palate is exactly what a Crianza should be: balanced but exuberant. There are …
Vina Eguia 2007 Reserva Rioja
A review of a brilliant and inexpensive bottle of Rioja. Aroma of tobacco and rose petals, with a bit of damp earth and clove. On the palate, the fresh fruit comes across in high definition; in particular, fresh cherry and red raspberry.
Bodegas Pedro Escudero 2009 “Fuente Elvira” Verdejo
A singularly modern style of Rueda that is taking its cues from its brethren up in Rioja. Reductive winemaking combined with barrel fermentation is doing wonders for Spanish whites, in particular Verdejo. Creamy peach and quince are …
Castillo Labastida 2001 Rioja Reserva
International Wine Cellar, notoriously the most difficult of the major wine-review publications, called this bottling “fully mature and delicious.” To that, we would also add “guilt-inducingly affordable” and “dangerously drinkable.”
Muga 2006 White Rioja
The nose of lemon and hazelnut is both rich and lively at the same time, yet that depth is presented in a wine with a surprisingly light frame. There’s a wonderful …
Muga 2004 Rioja Reserva, Rioja
Muga is a perennial favorite here at the Wine School, and for a good reason: Its wines, from the value-priced white Rioja to the majestic Torre Muga, are, quite simply, delicious. …