La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva 2018

Rioja, Spain

Wine Advocate 92 points! James Suckling 93 points!

La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva is a gorgeous Spanish red wine gem for the ages from one of the top producers in the renowned Rioja wine region. With more than 50,000 casks and 6.4 million bottles stored at any one time, La Rioja Alta S.A. is unique in its ability to supply large quantities of fully mature wines of world class quality. The Bodega was formed in 1890 as a partnership of 5 quality-conscious growers keen to exploit the export potential for well-made 'modern' Rioja. La Rioja Alta has never let standards slip and continues to this day the tradition of careful long aging that gives Rioja its unique character. These wines offer a wonderfully complex bouquet, rich flavors, a seductively smooth texture, and are all ready to drink on release.

La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva is bright garnet in color with intense cherry tones on the edge of the glass. On the nose, its strong aromatic intensity of ripe fruits, strawberries, raspberries and blackberry stands out, which round out the friendly balsamic notes of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. The palate is rounded, balanced, with a gentle initial freshness and sweet, round tannins, giving way to a long, fruity and balsamic aftertaste, so characteristic of Viña Alberdi.

“Their young and fresh red 2018 Viña Alberdi, already a Reserva (Crianza in Spain), matured in oak barrel for two years—in new barrels for the first year and in used barrels for the second year. During the élevage, they racked the wine manually from barrel to barrel four times. 2018 was a year of lower alcohol and more freshness in the wines, and they thought the wines were not designed for the long haul; so, they didn't produce any other wine, and so the only wine from 2018 IS VIÑA ALBERDI! Which means that all the Tempranillo grapes that were destined for 890, 904 and all the other wines went to this wine. They didn't use the Garnacha (which was sold in bulk). So, this is a super- Viña Alberdi, which shows more Crianza style in this cooler vintage but with very good depth and complexity, perhaps a more modern and fresher style. The wine has a seamless palate and a juicy texture, with more color than other vintages, more intensity, more fruit... It has grapes from very good vineyards and poor soils that were never destined for this wine. Highly recommendable and very versatile. It has potential to age. They produced a whopping one million bottles of it. It was bottled in March 2021. Drink 2022-2028”—Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate, 92 points!

Enjoy La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva with roast pork, lamb, grilled steak, paella, and aged cheeses.