New-Wave Riojas

In the past twenty years, notable wineries in La Rioja have shot up from 50 or so, to over 500. In a radical move away from the drier, trickier to drink Bordeaux styles, oenologists began coming up with wines described by the venerable Robert Parker as “fruit bombs”. Big on luscious flavours and silky textures, they are made primarily from vines over 50 years of age and are picked by hand at optimal ripeness.

At the same time, visionary wineries began turning their bodegas into architectural destinations bringing in the world's leading architects like Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Santiago Calatrava to design them. Today, they are as worthy for their design as they are for their wine.

Important New-Wave Riojas in our Cellar

Torre Muga 2004, Bodegas Muga
Allende 2004, Finca Allende
Viñas de Gain Rioja 2004, Bodegas y Viñedos Artadi
Marqués de Terán Cosecha Especial, Bodegas Regalía de Ollauri

Rioja Vintage Guide

The variable climatic conditions in Rioja, such as the winds from the Atlantic, impact the quality of vintages from year to year, and the Consejo Regulador in the Rioja DOCa like its counterparts throughout Spain, rates vintages annually:

2006   Very Good
2005   Excellent
2004 Excellent
2003   Good
2002   Good
2001 Excellent
2000   Good
1999   Good
1998   Very Good

While these ofﬁcial ratings are a good guide to the quality of the vintages, they are not necessarily deﬁnitive in determining the quality of particular wines from that vintage.