It’s always a dilemma writing about a popular wine, not least because most people like it for what it is, rather than what it could be for people who don’t yet buy into it. Rioja is a classic case in point. What’s the problem, you might ask, with an easy-drinking, mellow red at an affordable price? Well, the answer is that there’s just too much of the stuff about, and there aren’t enough people buying it – sales in the UK, one of the region’s best markets, were down just under 12% in 2022. It’s the older generation (of whom I am one), who know what they like and love a bargain, who go for it, not generation Z, many of whom may not drink wine, never mind rioja, at all.
It’s also far from the full picture, as I discovered at a recent tasting with Master of Wine Tim Atkin, who produces an annual report on the region based on three weeks of solid tasting and more than 1,300 wines. There are now winemakers making rioja at higher altitudes, from different grapes and in containers other than the traditional American oak barrels. In many cases, they’re also releasing the wine much earlier than the typical three- to five-year wait for the better examples. Many of the riojas I tried were vibrantly fruity; most of the 2022 vintages are still to make it on to the shelves while retailers work through their stocks, but the much-acclaimed 2021, which Atkin rates very highly, is available.
You may be aware that red riojas are normally made from tempranillo or tempranillo blends, but many of the most exciting new wines are partially, if not 100% garnacha – the Wine Society has one in its new Generation series for £12.50 (13.5%), though it’s not exactly the most exciting example I tasted. With white rioja, meanwhile, there are also options other than the bright, unoaked citrussy styles and the richer, oaked ones you may be used to. Grenache – this time white – is again playing its part, and I absolutely loved the wine in my pick below.
The bad news is that the best rioja is now attracting some eyewatering prices, putting it on a par with burgundy and barolo. While that’s good for the reputation of the region, it’s less so for less well-heeled wine lovers. Sadly with rioja, you can’t have both the exciting new-wave wines and a bargain. If you’re after the latter, though, let me remind you about a couple of supermarket own-label reservas that I rate: Asda’s Extra Special Rioja Reserva (£9, 14%) and Tesco’s Finest Viña del Cura Rioja Reserva (£10, 13.5%), both of which are 2018s. Just remember, though, that they’re not the full story when it comes to rioja these days.
Five bottles that might tempt you into drinking rioja
Artuke Tinto 2022 £14.50 (or £12.95 in a case of 12) Lea & Sandeman, 13.5%. Very smart, modern, young tempranillo-based rioja.
Tremendus Clarete 2022 £12.38 Les Caves de Pyrene, £12.50 Buon Vino, £13.60 Cave Bristol, 13.5%. 220 Cántaras make some phenomenal skin-contact (AKA orange) wines, but this is their more affordable rosado. Paler and creamier than traditional rioja rosé, but substantial enough to stand up to some pretty feisty food.
Victor Ausejo Parcela 333 Garnacha Blanca 2022 £30 Chesters Wine Merchants, Abergavenny, 13.5%. Wonderfully exotic, unoaked white rioja made from garnacha blanca rather than the usual viura. You get a whiff of white flowers, then white peaches and pears on the palate.
La Dula Sierra de Toloño Rioja 2021 £24.50 (or £21.95 as part of a case of 12) Lea & Sandeman, 14%. One of the exciting new wave of garnachas, though, with its incredibly pure, vibrant fruit, it could almost be a pinot noir.
Carlos Sanchez Bienlarmè Lagrimas Bellas Rioja 2021 £31 Sager & Wine, 14.5%. Fabulously intense, full-bodied, tempranillo-based blend that will definitely keep a few years, but I doubt you’ll manage to hold on to it for that long.
