A deep garnet Rioja that proudly wears its heritage. The nose opens with classic notes of leather, vanilla, and spice, intertwined with hints of dried cherry and tobacco. On the palate, it’s smooth and layered with ripe wild strawberries and red plum that glide over a fine frame of oak and supple tannins. There’s a savoury undertone of clove and cedar that adds warmth and texture, leading into a long, graceful finish laced with sweet spice and a touch of earth. Elegant, comforting, and beautifully balanced, this is Rioja in its most timeless form, polished but soulful.

For when: the fire’s glowing and the night’s set to linger.
Pairs with: slow-cooked lamb, Manchego cheese, or roasted red peppers.

Founded in 1985, Bodegas Ondarre sits in the medieval town of Viana, overlooking the Rioja Valley. The winery was created to showcase Rioja’s varied terroirs, drawing fruit from old vines rooted in iron-rich clay and limestone soils on the region’s northern slopes. Working closely with long-standing growers, Ondarre combines traditional craftsmanship with subtle modernity, ageing its wines in both French and American oak to capture Rioja’s signature harmony of fruit, spice, and structure. The 2019 vintage, warm, dry, and low-yielding, brought exceptional concentration and purity, resulting in a Reserva that perfectly balances elegance, depth, and the quiet power of a great year.