La Rioja Alta Reserva 'Vina Alberdi', 2016/18

La Rioja Alta Reserva 'Vina Alberdi', 2016/18

Regular price $54.00

Unit price per 

Size

only 0 left in stock

A deep purple-coloured Tempranillo, that has notes of caramel, coconut and vanilla, from Rioja Spain

93 points (2016) - Decanter World of Wine Awards

93 points (2018) - James Suckling

92 points (2018) - Wine Advocate

  • Grape: Tempranillo
  • Flavours: caramel, coconut and vanilla
  • Region: Rioja, Spain
  • Serve temperature: 18 degrees
  • 13% alcohol

"Full of assertive red fruit, strawberry, sun-dried tomato and Victoria plum characters. Palate has lovely sweet oak and a gentle vanilla note. Full of vitality and panache!" - 2016

“A pretty nose of raspberries, cassis, fresh herbs, vanilla and sweet spices. It’s medium-bodied with round tannins. Creamy and fruity with chocolatey character on the mid-palate. Supple finish with excellent length. Tangy acidity. 100% tempranillo. Drink or hold.” - 2018 James Suckling

“Their young and fresh red 2018 Viña Alberdi, already a Reserva, matured in oak barrel for two years - in new barrels for the first year and in used barrels for the second year. During the élevage, they racked the wine manually from barrel to barrel four times. 2018 was a year of lower alcohol and more freshness in the wines, and they thought the wines were not designed for the long haul; so, they didn't produce any other wine, and so the only wine from 2018 IS VIÑA ALBERDI! Which means that all the Tempranillo grapes that were destined for 890, 904 and all the other wines went to this wine. They didn't use the Garnacha (which was sold in bulk). So, this is a super- Viña Alberdi, which shows more Crianza style in this cooler vintage but with very good depth and complexity, perhaps a more modern and fresher style. The wine has a seamless palate and a juicy texture, with more colour than other vintages, more intensity, more fruit... It has grapes from very good vineyards and poor soils that were never destined for this wine. Highly recommendable and very versatile. It has potential to age.” - 2018 Wine Advocate


 The Winery La Rioja Alta

La Rioja Alta, established in 1890, continues to be one of the benchmarks for traditionally produced Rioja. The company still maintains traditional Rioja winemaking practices whilst embracing many new technological advances. It is unusual for a great bodega of Rioja to own vineyards, but La Rioja Alta owns 360ha from which they can source the highest quality grapes, resulting in excellent fruit and richness throughout their wines. Tempranillo dominates the plantings, complemented with a small proportion of Garnacha and Graciano. La Rioja Alta deems their Gran Reserva '890' to be their greatest wine, making it only in the very best vintages - on average three times per decade. However their Gran Reserva '904' is no less prestigious, being made as infrequently as the Gran Reserva '890' but in a different style - old oak rather than new, and aged for nine years rather than 13. A number of critics prefer this more immediately elegant and appealing style. Wine Enthusiast in fact named Gran Reserva 904 as their number one wine in the world in 2016. This year sees the second-ever release of the Gran Reserva 'Vina Arana'. More accessible in terms of price and style, but made with the same painstaking care and attention to detail. La Rioja Alta didn't make either '904' or '890' in 2014, so all their best fruit from this cooler vintage found its way into the Arana. Aged in three-year-old oak for three years, followed by three years in bottle, Tim Atkin MW stamps the wine 'old fashioned Rioja at its glorious best.'

Close (esc)

A smarter way to find great wines

Get access to our most-loved wines at up to 60% off retail - sent to your inbox once a week.

Age verification

By clicking enter you are verifying that you are old enough to consume alcohol.

Search

Shopping Cart

Your cart is currently empty.
Shop now