Wine Spectator #9 Top 10 Values of 2024 

92pts James Suckling

Attractive aromas of sweet spices, smoke and seaweed. Some roasted nuts. Hints of Iberico ham. Medium-bodied with a nice rounded character to the tannins and juicy fruit. Pure tempranillo.

91pts Wine Spectator - #9 in Top 10 Values of 2024

Founded in 1890, La Rioja Alta is known as a traditionalist. In Rioja that means long aging in oak and producing wines blended from multiple sources rather than site-specific expressions. “We’re more about each label’s consistent style, while some other wineries are more driven by terroir,” says president Guillermo de Aranzabal. The Alberdi is an introductory version to this philosophy, sourcing Tempranillo grapes (100 percent) from around the winery’s location in the Rioja Alta sub-zone to bring different characteristics to the wine—for example, freshness, fruit, spice or structure, says de Aranzabal. It is aged entirely in American oak casks (another “traditional” flag), all made by the winery’s own cooperage. With just two years’ aging, the Alberdi bottling highlights fruit character and accessibility; yet with the first year in new oak and the second in 4-year-old casks (with racking every six months), the wine shows added complexity and flattering detail that stand out at this price point. 46,000 cases made, 16,500 cases imported.

91pts Vinous

The 2019 Reserva Viña Alberdi is 100% Tempranillo, sourced from Labastida, Rioja Alavesa and aged for two years in American oak barrels. Garnet in color, the bouquet features vanilla and ripe plum notes along with hints of balsamic and caramel. Dry and juicy on the palate, the polished tannins and silky flow lead to a fairly nimble finish—a delicate Rioja red.

Tasting Notes

Bright, deep ruby colour with intense dark cherry hues on the rim of the glass. It stands out for its intense ripe red fruit aromas like strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants complemented by pleasantly sweet spicy notes of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. The palate is round, with lively freshness at the start and sweet, supple tannins, leading to a long, fruity and balsamic finish, so characteristic of Viña Alberdi.

Viña Alberdi is characterised by a notable food-pairing versatility. It is an ideal companion to appetisers, snacks and barbecues, perfect with rice, pastas and stews, and great with lightly-grilled meat and fish.

Winemaker Notes

Rated Excellent, the weather conditions during the growing cycle were optimal, producing very healthy grapes in the vineyards. The bunches, loose and well aerated, ripened exceptionally well. This allowed us to wait for the optimum time to harvest each of the plots selected for this particular wine. As a result, the wines stand out for their balance, attractive freshness and round, silky tannins, particularly suitable for ageing and with a decidedly Atlantic character, typical of this part of Rioja.

100% Tempranillo from Mayorita, El Bardal and El Rebollar in Rodezno, and Alto del Rey in Labastida. These vineyards are situated at 500-600 metres above sea level and the vines were planted on clay-limestone soils more than 40 years ago.

The harvest is done by hand, selecting the bunches in the vineyard. The grapes are placed in boxes and taken to the winery in refrigerated transport to preserve their integrity. After destemming and crushing, the grapes were placed in tanks where alcoholic and malolactic fermentation took place naturally. The wine was aged for two years in American oak barrels made by our in-house coopers —new ones in the first year and four-year-old barrels for the second year. We carried out four rackings in the traditional way, from barrel to barrel, separating by candlelight the sediment that formed during the ageing process. Bottled in May 2022.