Winemaker Notes
The 2013 Rioja Gran Reserva is a very deep garnet color. On the nose it displays a vast array of aromas, from stewed ripe fruit to prunes and nuts such as walnuts. Subtle hints of tobacco and powdered cacao also come through, together with white pepper and balsamic notes that add freshness. It delivers distinct notes of fruit and nuts on the palate, which provide structure and tannin. The wine is long, very complex, balanced and also sophisticated.
Blend: 95% Tempranillo, 4% Graciano, 1% Mazuelo
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A fresh and enticing red that layers both savory and sweet character in a well-balanced, medium- to full-bodied frame. Features fine-grained, creamy tannins that define flavors of cassis, black olive, loamy earth and hints of mocha, dried dill and graphite, which linger on the finish. Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo. Drink now
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James Suckling
Mealy, sweet spices with savory, plummy fruit and some earthy, leathery undertones. Some tobacco leaf, too. This is a juicy, elegant expression of Rioja with refined tannins and a subtle, ethereal finish. Tempranillo, graciano and mazuelo.
Hailed as the star red variety in Spain’s most celebrated wine region, Tempranillo from Rioja, or simply labeled, “Rioja,” produces elegant wines with complex notes of red and black fruit, crushed rock, leather, toast and tobacco, whose best examples are fully capable of decades of improvement in the cellar.
Rioja wines are typically a blend of fruit from its three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta and Alavesa, at the highest elevations, are considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier, Rioja Oriental, produce wines with deep color, great body and richness.