Miguel Merino Vitola Rioja Reserva 2019

Rioja Alta, Spain 

Tim Atkin 93 points! 

Miguel Merino Vitola Rioja Reserva is a beautiful Spanish red from this most famous of Spanish wine regions. The winery recently passed from father to son with the passing of Miguel Merino in 2021. He paved the way, when after a successful career as a wine exporter he decided to start a small bodega, choosing Briones as their focal point, a small and historic village where old vines abound, and are mostly planted in steep slopes, with varying soil-types of sand, clay, and limestone, and markedly Atlantic influenced climate. Merino Jr. worked on and off with him and in other wineries, and he and his wife Erika joined full-time in 2017, bringing contemporary ideas to the production. Today he owns 7 hectares of vineyards, and farms another 6, distributed among 24 different plots, all located in Briones. The oldest of his vines were planted in 1929, many in the 60’s and 70’s, and the younger ones planted in 2001.

Vitola Reserva comes from vines planted in the 1970s, in slopes facing northwest. Soils are very poor, far from the Ebro river, and very rocky. The wine is made of 96% Tempranillo with 4% Graciano (for acidity.) It ages for two years in French oak (30% new), and the rest in bottle, before release. 

"Vitola hails from cooler, north-facing vineyards and is an assemblage of Tempranillo and 5% Graciano. Curated in 25% new wood, it's more of a classic style from Miguel Merino but still shows his gentle touch in the winery. Silky tannins frame a palate of succulent red berry fruits, a hint of black cherry and a patina of Asian spices. 2024-30"—Tim Atkin, 93 points!

Enjoy Miguel Merino Vitola Rioja Reserva over the next 6-8 years with roast pork, lamb, grilled steak, paella, and aged cheeses.