2016 Gran Reserva Viña Arana, La Rioja Alta

Few names embody the soul of traditional Rioja quite like La Rioja Alta. Founded in 1890 by five families in Haro’s historic Barrio de la Estación, the bodega remains one of Spain’s most revered and steadfastly classical producers. Over more than 130 years, it has built a reputation for patience, precision, and unwavering respect for time, crafting wines that mature not just in oak, but in character.

The estate’s vineyards lie in the cool, high-altitude reaches of Rioja Alta, where clay-limestone soils and Atlantic influences yield Tempranillo of exceptional finesse and natural acidity. From these vines come wines that are born for ageing, vibrant in youth, transcendent with maturity. The grapes are vinified in a combination of tradition and control, then matured in American oak barrels made by La Rioja Alta’s own cooperage, ensuring absolute consistency of style and quality.

Their hierarchy of labels, Viña Alberdi, Viña Ardanza, Gran Reserva 904, and the legendary Gran Reserva 890, represents not just increasing age, but increasing depth and complexity. Each is released only when deemed ready, often more than a decade after harvest, offering drinkers a taste of Rioja’s past made freshly alive.

At La Rioja Alta, time isn’t just an ingredient, it’s the guiding philosophy. The result is wines that balance grace with gravitas, offering an ageless expression of what makes Rioja not merely a region, but a legacy.