Winemaker Notes
Bright cherry colour. Notes of liquorice ripe red fruit with dairy nuances, over toffee, vanilla, cinnamon and cocoa. On the palate it shows harmony between the fruit and the toasted notes, causing an evolving effect on the palate. Rounded tannins with a good long-lasting finish of red fruit and licorice.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A fruit-conscious Rioja, showing lots of bright plums, cherries and subtle spices. Juicy and firm with medium body and a vivid, medium-long finish. Drink now or hold.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
THE 2022 Bodegas Lan VIÑA LAN D-12 CRIANZA RIOJA is deep ruby in color, with fragrant spices and tart cherry notes of medium depth, this medium-bodied, angular yet lively Rioja shows tart berry flavors with a touch of earth, finishing perky and bright, making it a natural match for a simple rustic dish like grilled chorizo with crusty bread, where the smoky, savory richness of the sausage softens the wine’s edges and lets its lively fruit shine through. (Tasted: March 30, 2026, San Francisco, CA)
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.