La Rioja Alta, Viña Alberdi Reserva 2020

One of the iconic wineries of the region, this wine is a joy and we are delighted to be able to offer it.

Made from 40-year old Tempranillo vines, this is a hand-made and super-premium Rioja that offers a wealth of tradition and history at a superb price. A superb balance of acidity, power and elegance, this is full of concentration of fruit flavour and has structure enough to age and develop in the cellar (if you give it the chance).

Traditionally fermented and racked several times over the course of its maturation, this is a wine fully cared-for and nurtured through the winery. Two years of ageing in American oak barrels, interestingly the first year in new barrels, the second year in four-year-old barrels, this rests for a further 12 months in bottle before being released for sale. This was the way that they used to make their very traditional "Tercer Añer" which, of course, means third year... 

Medium-full bodied, this shows a bundle of ripe red fruits all bound together by balsamic notes with caramel, toffee, vanilla and coffee beans highlighting a truly attractive nose. The palate is long, concentrated and flavour-filled, but it has a delightful freshness that balances the intensity of flavour and prevents the wine from becoming over-bearing or cloying. It's seriously great winemaking. 

Established in 1890 the winery of La Rioja Alta began as a co-operative of five Rioja and Basque families as a vehicle for making wine from the grapes they grew. The building was strategically placed in the 'station district' of the town of Haro, where it still is today, so as to be able to transport wine to export markets with relative ease. Their first president was Doña Saturnina García Cid y Gárate and the first winemaker was a chap called Monsieur Vigier, who, like so many French winemakers, left the phylloxera-ravaged vineyards of his own land to look for winemaking opportunities in other European countries. The first Reserva made in 1890 was the predecessor of today's Gran Reserva 890. And in 1904 one of the founding members, Don Alfredo Ardanza, suggested a merger between the new La Rioja Alta winery and the other winery that he owned, Bodega Ardanza, and the structure was set for the subsequent 120 years. They celebrated that merger with a Reserva that they called 1904, which was the predecessor of today's 904 Gran Reserva, followed by the creation of Viña Ardanza in 1942, Viña Arana in 1974 and this wine, Viña Alberdi, in 1978 as a replacement to their much-loved Tercer Año. 

Viña Alberdi Reserva Scores:

93 Points James Suckling

92 Points Guia Peñin

92 Points Robert Parker