Best Buys $10 And Under

91 points Wine Advocate
The fruit-driven, ripe and heady 2019 Vina Real Crianza was produced with 90% Tempranillo and the rest between Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano from a vineyard in the Sonsierra zone (call it Rioja Alavesa if you like). It has 13.75% alcohol and a pH of 3.6 and is polished and easy to understand and like. It has plenty of tannins; it calls for food. The oak is soft and integrated.

93 points James Suckling
High-toned, floral aromas with orange peel and crushed blackberries. Medium-bodied with tight, chewy tannins that are polished and intense. Serious length and focus. Very drinkable now, but even better in 2024

91 points James Suckling
A fruity and plummy nose with lots of cherries, strawberries and some spices. Ripe, crunchy and fruit-expressive on the medium-bodied palate rounded by firm and nicely chewy tannins. Not complex, but has good length in the finish.

What stands out in the Muga Rosado 2023 vintage is its pale, rose-pink color. It is very intense and complex on the nose, with an initial gush of peach, strawberry and white blossom notes. On the palate, it proves a wine with very well-integrated acidity, volume, balanced fruit and a very long finish. In the aftertaste, we can detect stone fruit and also citrus nuances. - Winery

92 points James Suckling
Black fruit, nutmeg, charcuterie and roasted marshmallows on the nose. Some licorice and five spice, too. It’s firm and dense, with a medium to full body, tight tannins and a compact core of spicy black fruit.

91 points Vinous
The 2018 Reserva is 100% Tempranillo sourced from San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Ábalos, Rioja Alta. This garnet wine unfolds sour cherry and dried flower notes with hints of fennel and herbs. Dry and mild, the fairly concentrated and chalky palate lingers with a juicy touch.

18 months in French and American oak barrels, followed by two years in the bottle.

80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha sourced from the prized Finca la Pedrizavineyard.

95 points James Suckling
Savory and complex with dried orange peel, cedar and plenty of sweet spices, walnuts, caramel, dried mushrooms and pine needles. Shows maturity here, with a medium body and superb freshness. Incredibly long finish with lots of truffle and walnut. Lasts over a minute. Very complete now, but you can still hold it.

94+ points Wine Advocate
The 2016 Viña Ardanza Reserva was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha that matured in used American oak barrels for three years, where it was hand-racked from barrel to barrel six times in the case of Tempranillo and five times for the Garnacha, as it had a slightly shorter élevage of 30 months. Against all odds, I found the 2016 to be fresher than the 2015 and less developed, despite the fact that winemaker Julio Sáenz told me he considers it a warmer year. But I have found many wines I like in 2016, and the wine feels very clean and quite harmonious, younger and less developed, with more primary notes and a velvety mouthfeel. 600,000 bottles produced. The wine was bottled in June 2020.

Organic

91 pts Wine Advocate
The certified organic red 2020 Cune Organic is aromatic, expressive and fruit-driven but with depth and complexity. They liked the Garnacha in 2020, which represents no less than 60% of the blend, complemented by 30% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano. The wine is fresh and has a profile similar to the young and juicy Crianza, with good ripeness and a solid palate. It matured in second use 300-liter oak barrels for six months. Urrutia mentioned cheerful and barbecue when talking about this wine. Very good at that.

92 points James Suckling
Very fresh with aromas of lemon pith, white grapefruit, crushed shells and slate. Some biscuits and salted yellow plums. Medium-bodied with beautiful minerality and freshness. Vivid finish.

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2019 Reserva, sold as Crianza in Spain, comes from a dry and warm year with low yields and concentrated wines. The grapes from the Haro zone, the four from Rioja, Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano fermented destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, and 80% of the volume matured in French oak and the rest in Centro European and American oak, 20% of them new, for 22 months, during which time the wine was racked every eight to nine months. This is serious and young but balanced, nuanced and complex. They are shortening the time in oak, as they feel they have better and younger barrels and think the wines need less time in oak and more time in bottle. This is very Muga, very Rioja and very good. They produced an impressive 960,000 bottles and 18,000 magnums of this. There is only one master blend that is bottled at different times. I tasted a bottle that was filled in April 2022 (because of the lack of availability of bottles!).

95 points James Suckling
I like the medium-velvety tannins with firmness, brightness and freshness. Full-bodied, racy and energetic. Elegance with structure. 85% tempranillo, 10% graciano and 5% mazuelo. Needs four to five years in the bottle, but already impressive to taste.

91 points Wine Advocate
The creamy and lactic 2019 Crianza was produced with pure Tempranillo that achieved good ripeness (14%), keeping freshness, the character of the 2019, a drier vintage than average with some heat but not excess, and the ripeness was perfect and the grapes very healthy. This is generously oaked after 14 months in used French and American oak barrels with rackings every six months. Very approachable.

Sierra Cantabria Crianza is the flagship age-classified Rioja bottling produced by the Eguren family of San Vicente de la Sonsierra. While the family is most well known for their single cru classified bottlings, they produce outstanding ageing classified wines from their estate vineyards in San Vicente. While this category is dominated by blends of purchased fruit sourced from many growers across the entire appellation, the Eguren family are one of the few (if not the only) families in Rioja that produce an estate grown and bottled Crianza from a single village - in this case, San Vicente de la Sonsierra, one of the most respected villages for Tempranillo in Spain.
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Practicing organic dry farmed viticulture with certain selective biodynamic practices. Vineyards trained as spur-pruned goblet vines as well as high density trellises. Manual work and harvest, with no mechanization whatsoever.

14 months in used French & American oak barrels. Racked every four months. Aging is carried out in subterranean cellars that were carved by the family at the end of the 1990's. Due to the low temperatures and high humidity, the rate of oxidation is reduced allowing the family to work with low levels of SO2.

95 points Wine Advocate
The subtle and harmonious 2019 Selección Especial reflects a very complete and good vintage. It has to be one of the finest vintages for this wine. 2019 is a powerful vintage with balance and freshness. The grapes ripened thoroughly and developed a full set of aromas and flavors. It's complex and nuanced, with abundant, fine-grained tannins and a long, dry and tasty finish. Selección applies to the vineyards but also the barrels and everything that contributes to this wine; it's not only a selection of lots, which was the case before the 1994 vintage. 274,992 bottles produced. It was bottled between April and June 2022 after 26 months in barrel.

Second Place finisher in our 2023 Wine of the Year blind-tasting!

Second place goes to Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Unica Reserva Rioja 2019! This is a stellar Reserva Rioja from the latest outstanding vintage of the region 2019. Tasting this blind it was apparent that it was Rioja as it demonstrated those classic Rioja notes of dill, savory Tempranillo fruit, and a touch of sweet wood influence. What captivated us about the wine was how seductive the fruit was, ripe without being sweet. We would categorize this as a youthful modern Rioja with enough classic notes to do Rioja proud. This wine is going to make a lot of new friends as it is absolutely irresistible now, but yes it will age a decade easily.

Organic. The Eguren family are the pioneers in the production of parcel specific single cru wines from Rioja in the Burgundy model. Sierra Cantabria Reserva Única is the family’s introduction to their single vineyard range, which is sourced from a spectacular vineyard on the banks of the Ebro River in Labastida. The entire vineyard is vinified as a Reserva, and throughout the aging process, Marcos Eguren carries out a severe barrel selection with only the finest being used for Unica. The wine is produced every vintage, but in varying quantities (1,500-4,000 cases) depending on the quality of the year. Unica represents a premier cru style Rioja single vineyard with fantastic structure, a seamless texture, and a pure red fruit character. Tempranillo (97 %) and Graciano (3 %) from vines older than 30 years.

Second place goes to Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Unica Reserva Rioja 2019! This is a stellar Reserva Rioja from the latest outstanding vintage of the region 2019. Tasting this blind it was apparent that it was Rioja as it demonstrated those classic Rioja notes of dill, savory Tempranillo fruit, and a touch of sweet wood influence. What captivated us about the wine was how seductive the fruit was, ripe without being sweet. We would categorize this as a youthful modern Rioja with enough classic notes to do Rioja proud. This wine is going to make a lot of new friends as it is absolutely irresistible now, but yes it will age a decade easily.

91 points James Suckling
A tight and slightly chewy Rioja Reserva that delivers well-judged spice and new leather to the red plums and cherries on the nose. Medium to full body with some granular tannins that will soften more in two years. Best after 2024.

Brilliant ripe black cherry red colour with good depth. Fruity aromas with elegant notes of fine wood. Velvety in the mouth with a long finish.

90 points James Suckling
Very dark on the nose, with lots of raw spices, charcoal and some green peppercorns on top of the blackberries. Very full-bodied and spicy. Almost a bit monolithic, despite the fine-grained tannins. Quite a unique style

94 points James Suckling
Spicy oak to the black berries, blueberries and plums. Pretty fluid despite the medium to full body with nicely chewy tannins. Fine-grained, structured and long.

Ruby red colour with medium depth rim. Intense, fresh aroma. Complex notes of plum, enveloped against a very enjoyable balsamic undertone. Delicate leather and spicy touches that recall a subtle toastiness enhance the wine's finesse and elegance. Its broad, well-rounded tannins and ripe fruit provide a balanced, full-bodied mouthfeel. A pleasant, luscious and tasty wine in mouth. - Winery

Organic

90 points Vinous
The 2022 Red Cosecha Senorio de P. Pecina is a blend of 95% Tempranillo, 3% Graciano and 2% Garnacha sourced from the Sonsierra in Rioja Alta. The fragrant blackberry nose also features herbs and balsamic notes, accompanied by hints of menthol, cherry liqueur and a faintly ethereal touch. Dry and grippy on the palate, it flows with a cleansing, juicy finish. This is a new-wave Rioja red.

Pedro Pecina makes this young wine in a traditional unoaked style, although he destems the grapes before fermentation. It's a lot of wine for the price, made from Tempranillo with 5% Garnacha and Graciano and oozing plum and black cherry flavours. Wonderfully vibrant, sappy and alive.

97 points James Suckling
A perfumed nose of plums, mulberries, mushrooms, caramel, sweet tobacco and sweet spices. Full-bodied with velvety, fine tannins and lively acidity. Balanced and supple with a creamy texture. Delicate and precise with a long, polished finish.

95 points Wine Advocate
They used the words subtlety, elegance, finesse, delicacy and silk to define the 2015 Gran Reserva 904 Seleccion Especial, a blend of 90% Tempranillo from their vineyards in Villalba, Brinas and Rodezno with 10% Graciano from the Montecillo vineyard in Fuenmayor that was picked 23 days later than the Tempranillo. The grapes were sorted optically for the first time, and they fermented in stainless steel where the wine went through malolactic too. The wine was put in barrel in January 2016?used American oak barrels built by their own coopers?where it matured for four years, during which time it was racked every six months. 2015 was a healthy vintage with balanced ripeness that delivered wines with good aging potential. They thought the wine needed a little more time in bottle to polish those tannins and have decided to hold it and release the wine around March 2023; it will be marked Seleccion Especial, the first 904 to do so, as they have very high hopes for this year and believe it's one of the finest vintages. They think it will develop the sophistication in the palate with a little more time and that is should achieve the silkiness that is the signature of 904. This is very 2015; I saw quite strong tannins in all the 2015 wines I tasted from Rioja Alta. Drink Window 2024-2025

#53 On The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2024!

93 points Wine Spectator
Richly savory on the nose, this fresh, sinewy red features a minerally underpinning of petrol, earth, iron and salt to the flavors of juicy dried cherry and cranberry, red licorice and mandarin orange peel. Opens nicely in the glass and on the palate, with the persistent finish showing aromatic herbs and spices, plus more mineral notes. Tempranillo, Garnacho, Graciano and Mazuelo. Drink now through 2031.

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2011 Viña Tondonia Reserva is darker and shows riper fruit, a rounder palate and some dusty tannins. A year of ripeness, concentration and tannin, the wine is powerful with the finesse of Tondonia. Tasting this next to the textbook 2010 Tondonia revealed how this has more muscle and a wider back and the 2010 epitomizes the finesse and elegance. 270,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2019.

Winemaker Notes:
Montecillo Crianza consistently wins ‘best value’ wine awards, around the world. Established in 1874, Bodegas Montecillo is one of the oldest wineries in the D.O. Rioja. Montecillo maintains its ancient underground ‘bodega’ where hand stacked bottles remain undisturbed until reaching optimal roundness. Montecillo wines are crafted to enjoy a long bottle life; they continue bottle ageing longer than those from other wineries in the region.

Elegant and attractive cherry red, with a good depth and intensity of color. Ripe fruit on the nose, particularly strawberry preserve. Subtle flavors interlaced with notes of sweet oak that are reminiscent of black liquorice. Broad entry in the mouth, rounded and with great presence. Th­is is when we really notice the high quality of the oak, thanks to tannins that are well integrated with the ripe fruit, making the wine silky with a long, pleasant aftertaste.

Ideal with grilled meats, charcuterie, vegetable and pulse based stews, tapas and canapes.

95 points James Suckling
Savory aromas of subtle earthy berries, oranges, iron and hints of walnut, tobacco and mushrooms. Fine tannins with high acidity on the palate with juicy, savory berries and a long, citrusy finish. A hint of tertiary caramel character at the end, making this very complex and complete. Drink now or in the next 10-15 years.

93 points Wine Advocate
The 2012 Viña Bosconia Reserva is perhaps a little too young (María José López de Heredia likes more polished wines, and for her this wine was too tough), with some tannins and the chalky texture from the limestone soils. This blend of Tempranillo with 15% Garnacho and 5% between Graciano and Mazuelo matured in used American oak barrels for five years. 80,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2019.

Organic

"The Flying Bicycle" is Germán Blanco's new project in Rioja Baja. With the help of an old friend and fellow oenologist, Javier Collio, Germán sources fruit from certified organic vineyards in the Navarra part of the appellation. The vineyards are dry-farmed and have an average age of thirty-five years old, grown in a mix of clay and limestone. The wine is made in a cellar in San Adrian, following the Milú philosophy: "happy wines made from happy grapes" is how he defines it. The grapes are de-stemmed and fermented in cold temperature from native yeasts. A slight maceration before the end of fermentation helps to make a delicate and fresh wine; no oak is used, and the wine stays in concrete tanks from five to six months

92 points James Suckling
Attractive aromas of sweet spices, smoke and seaweed. Some roasted nuts. Hints of Iberico ham. Medium-bodied with a nice rounded character to the tannins and juicy fruit. Pure tempranillo. Drink now.

92 points John Gilman
The 2019 Rioja Vina Alberdi Reserva from La Rioja Alta is made entirely from tempranillo, with the vines at least forty years of age. The wine is aged entirely in small American oak barrels for two years, with the first year in new wood and the second in ôthree wineö barrels. The wine is excellent on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet offering up a complex blend of red and black raspberries, woodsmoke, a touch of spiced meats, chalky soil tones, cloves, nutmeg, a touch of nutskin and a nice mix of smoky and toasted coconutty oak scents. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with superb depth of fruit, lovely soil inflection and grip, moderate, buried tannins and fine balance on the long, complex and classy finish. This is already very tasty, but it has plenty of well-integrated tannins still on the finish and 74 tucking it away in the cellar for four or five years will result in a more velvety and complex wine. Fine juice. 2024-2055+.

91 points Vinous Media
The 2019 Reserva Vina Alberdi is 100% Tempranillo, sourced from Labastida, Rioja Alavesa and aged for two years in American oak barrels. Garnet in color, the bouquet features vanilla and ripe plum notes along with hints of balsamic and caramel. Dry and juicy on the palate, the polished tannins and silky flow lead to a fairly nimble finishùa delicate Rioja red. Vina Alberdi is characterised by a notable food-pairing versatility. It is an ideal companion to appetisers, snacks and barbecues, perfect with rice, pastas and stews, and great with lightly-grilled meat and fish

Made by Marques de Riscal of Rioja.

Organic

Cherry, leafy and vanilla notes mingle in this juicy red. Light tannins and lively acidity impart a gentle balance. Not muscular but harmonious. Drink now through 2023. 50,000 cases imported.