Rioja
Rioja, one of Spain's most esteemed wine regions, is renowned for its exceptional fine wines. With a winemaking tradition that spans centuries, Rioja is celebrated for its unique terroir, diverse grape varieties, and the artistry of its winemakers. Situated in northern Spain, Rioja produces wines that embody the rich history and passion of Spanish winemaking.
One of the most famous vineyards in Rioja is Bodegas Marqués de Riscal, a historic winery that has been producing wines since 1858. Their wines, including the iconic Marqués de Riscal Reserva and Marqués de Riscal Gran Reserva, are renowned for their elegance, complexity, and age-worthiness.
Another esteemed vineyard is Bodegas López de Heredia Viña Tondonia, known for its traditional winemaking practices and long-aged wines. Their Viña Tondonia Reserva and Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva are highly sought-after by wine enthusiasts seeking the classic Rioja style.
Rioja is primarily known for its red wines, which are crafted predominantly from the Tempranillo grape variety. Notable vineyards such as Bodegas Muga, Bodegas Roda, and Bodegas CVNE (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) produce exceptional red wines that showcase the region's unique characteristics. These wines display flavours of ripe red fruit, subtle oak influence, well-integrated tannins, and a remarkable balance.
Rioja also offers notable white wines, mainly made from the Viura grape variety. Bodegas Riojanas, Bodegas Ontañón, and Bodegas Valdemar are among the renowned vineyards that produce exquisite white wines with vibrant acidity, citrus flavours, and a refreshing crispness.
The region's wines are often classified into four categories: Rioja, Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva, indicating the aging process and quality level. This classification system ensures consistent quality and allows wine lovers to choose wines based on their preferred style and maturity.
Rioja's fine wines beautifully capture the essence of the region, showcasing a harmonious balance between tradition and innovation. Whether you're savouring a well-aged Reserva, a vibrant Crianza, or a complex Gran Reserva, Rioja's wines promise an unforgettable experience that reflects the region's winemaking heritage and dedication to excellence.
Rioja
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Rioja | 6 | - | HK$2,925.00 | |||||
|
|
Rioja | 4 | 95 (VN) | HK$3,525.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)(100% tempranillo, sourced from a single 3.5-hectare vineyard that reportedly yielded 10 hectoliters per hectare; fermented in a single open-top wooden tank; 15% alcohol): Opaque purple. Intoxicating scents of black raspberry, boysenberry, incense and violet, along with notes of black pepper and anise. Lush, spicy and expansive, offering powerful red and dark berry compote and vanilla flavors and an exotic candied floral quality. Clings impressively on the endless, subtly tannic finish, energized by zesty acidity. |
|||||||||
|
|
Rioja | 1 | - | HK$1,005.00 | |||||
|
|
Rioja | 1 | 95 (JD) | HK$5,655.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (95)An old vine selection based on 100% Graciano, the 2016 Rio Mazos was completely destemmed and brought up in 50% new oak. This inky colored effort has a rich, smoky bouquet of blackberries, spicy oak, cedary spice, and violets. With beautiful fruit, plenty of classy integrated oak, full body, a terrific texture, and ripe tannins, it's a beautiful, layered, singular Rioja that’s loaded with character. Drink it any time over the coming decade (and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it keep longer). |
|||||||||
|
|
Rioja | 1 | 95 (DC) | HK$3,530.00 | |||||
Decanter (95)Dark cherries, vanilla, sweet spice, strawberry and red berry fruits are woven through the long and fresh palate. A refined wine that does itself proud with its long finish, stupendous finesse and seamlessly integrated, ripe tannins. Delicious to drink |
|||||||||
|
|
Rioja | 6 | 97 (WA) | HK$3,940.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (97)The new red blend 2020 Alma Contador is going to be sold mostly through the négociants from Bordeaux. It was produced with grapes from three vineyards in San Vicente de la Sonsierra at different altitudes and is a blend of Tempranillo with 8% Garnacha with limited yields because of mildew. It matured in new French barriques for 20 months. He wanted a more classical image and perhaps a more classical profile of wine. It's perfumed and floral, with notes of aromatic herbs, a little balsamic and quite showy, with very fine tannins and freshness, as he used more grapes from the higher-altitude zones. It's powerful and elegant, and in a way it reminds me of the style of the initial vintages of La Cueva de Contador; it's clean and elegant. It's 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.55. It's very young but still drinkable, as the quality of the tannins is very good. I think this is the one wine I'd buy from their portfolio if I could only buy one. It transported me to the wines from the early 2000s. 10,000 bottles produced. |
|||||||||
|
|
Rioja | 6 | 95 (WA) | HK$3,940.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (95)The 2021 Alma Contador, produced with 91% Tempranillo and 9% Garnacha, feels very ripe, and the label states 15% alcohol. It has notes of stewed fruit, dark spices, smoke and toast. It has a full-bodied palate with abundant tannins and is very powerful and concentrated but with all the components in good balance. This is going to require a little more time in bottle and/or powerful food. 14,000 bottles produced. It was bottled after 20 months in new French oak barrels. |
|||||||||
|
|
Rioja | 1 | - | HK$2,635.00 | |||||
|
|
Rioja | 1 | - | HK$910.00 | |||||
|
|
Rioja | 1 | 95 (WA) | HK$2,585.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (95)The 2018 Viña del Olivo comes from a plot planted in 1980 that has different soils from the rest of the property, which is mostly alluvial. Here, the soils are composed of clay and limestone. It's 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, which fermented in 1,000-liter French oak vats followed by 16 months in barrel and a further three months in oak vats. This is raw and young, but it's already been released because the wine sells like hot cakes. It's marked by the toasted barrels and has all the baby fat it needs to be rendered invisible with time in bottle. It has very good freshness and round and sophisticated tannins with purity of fruit and finesse. 13,640 bottles and some larger formats. It was bottled in April 2020. |
|||||||||
|
|
Rioja | 1 | 98 (JS) | HK$1,435.00 | |||||
James Suckling (98)A brilliant evolution in the Vina del Olivio character here, with energy and brightness, as well as focused and pure tannins. Medium- to full-bodied with fantastic length. Very structured. Like eating a perfectly ripe grape al dente. Needs three to four years to come around. |
|||||||||
|
|
Rioja | 1 | 98 (JS) | HK$1,035.00 | |||||
James Suckling (98)A brilliant evolution in the Vina del Olivio character here, with energy and brightness, as well as focused and pure tannins. Medium- to full-bodied with fantastic length. Very structured. Like eating a perfectly ripe grape al dente. Needs three to four years to come around. |
|||||||||
|
|
Rioja | 1 | 99 (TA) | HK$3,590.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (99)Well, well, well. This is one of the best wines of an outstanding vintage, demonstrating that this warm Rioja Alavesa site performs best in cooler vintages. It's a wine that oozes quality from the first sniff, all blackcurrant leaf, coffee bean and wild herbs, leading into a palate of mocha, plum and blackberry. The palate is refined, polished and beautifully freighted, marrying Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% each of Mazuelo and Garnacha to (near) perfection. I can't recall a better wine from the estate. Bravo! |
|||||||||
|
|
Rioja | 1 | 99 (TA) | HK$3,295.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (99)Well, well, well. This is one of the best wines of an outstanding vintage, demonstrating that this warm Rioja Alavesa site performs best in cooler vintages. It's a wine that oozes quality from the first sniff, all blackcurrant leaf, coffee bean and wild herbs, leading into a palate of mocha, plum and blackberry. The palate is refined, polished and beautifully freighted, marrying Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% each of Mazuelo and Garnacha to (near) perfection. I can't recall a better wine from the estate. Bravo! |
|||||||||
|
|
Rioja | 1 | 99 (TA) | HK$3,430.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (99)Well, well, well. This is one of the best wines of an outstanding vintage, demonstrating that this warm Rioja Alavesa site performs best in cooler vintages. It's a wine that oozes quality from the first sniff, all blackcurrant leaf, coffee bean and wild herbs, leading into a palate of mocha, plum and blackberry. The palate is refined, polished and beautifully freighted, marrying Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% each of Mazuelo and Garnacha to (near) perfection. I can't recall a better wine from the estate. Bravo! |
|||||||||
