コレクション: Rioja
Rioja is graded by time, not by vineyard — which makes it one of the easiest fine wine regions in the world to shop, once you know the four words.
| Level |
Minimum ageing |
What it means for you |
| Genérico / Joven |
None required |
Young and fruity. Drink now |
| Crianza |
2 years, 1 in oak |
The everyday bottle |
| Reserva |
3 years, 1 in oak |
More depth, still affordable |
| Gran Reserva |
5 years, 2 in oak |
Made only in good years |
Why this matters more than it sounds
Rioja is one of the very few places on earth where a decade-old wine sells at a normal price, already at its peak. Everywhere else, a wine with ten years of age costs what ten years of storage costs. In Rioja the producer absorbs it.
The style. Tempranillo-led, traditionally aged in American oak, which gives dried fruit, vanilla, leather and coconut rather than the toast of French oak. Silky rather than powerful — a gentle wine, not a big one.
No decanting needed. Roast lamb, jamón, hard sheep's cheese, roast pork.
All Spanish wine
