Winemaker Notes
Viña Dorana is a historic brand revived by Gómez Cruzado, one of Rioja's oldest wineries dating back to the early 1900s. The winemaking approach aims to keep the oak influence in the background, allowing the wine's freshness and acidity to shine. Viña Dorana Reserva has a supple, medium-bodied palate with very fine tannins and a subtle earthiness.
Blend: 60% Tempranillo, 40% Garnacha
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Viña Dorana replaces the Reserva, and it's a commitment to the Alto Najerilla vineyards, with a blend of 60% Tempranillo and 40% Garnacha. They believe the Alto Najerilla is one of the freshest places in Rioja, with the ability to produce sapid and sharp wines. They handled the élevage so that the barrels are in the background and the fruit at the forefront. Despite the very challenging year, the wine shows very well, with 14% alcohol and good freshness and balance. It has a supple, medium-bodied palate with very fine tannins and faint earthiness. It matured in French barrique for two years, followed by one more year in tank.
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.