Wine · Medium strength
Rioja Reserva
Tempranillo aged in American oak — vanilla, dried cherry, and Spanish patience.
How to order it: Reserva means real cellar time at the bodega. Tremendous value per dollar.
Flavor profile
The proper serve
- Serve at 60–65°F
- Bordeaux glass
- Already aged for you — just open
- Pairs: lamb, jamón, hard cheese
- Gran Reserva for occasions
The story
Rioja's golden age arrived on the back of French misfortune. When oidium and then phylloxera ravaged Bordeaux's vineyards in the mid-nineteenth century, merchants crossed the Pyrenees in search of wine, and pioneering estates like Marqués de Murrieta and Marqués de Riscal fused Bordeaux barrel technique with Tempranillo from the Ebro Valley. The local twist was American oak — cheaper then, and generous with vanilla and coconut — which became the region's signature perfume. Spain codified patience into law: a Reserva must age at least three years between barrel and bottle before release, the winery absorbing the wait so the drinker doesn't have to. Rioja sells you time, pre-spent.
Adjacent pours