| Producer | La Rioja Alta |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Rioja |
| Varietal | Proprietary Red |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Sku | 62575 |
| Size | 750ml |
La Rioja Alta is an incredibly historic winery located in the heart of Rioja. Founded in 1890 by 5 Spanish wine-producing families who called the venture Sociedad Vinicola de la Rioja Alta. With French vineyards having been devastated by phylloxera, many French winemakers looked to Spain and to Rioja's unaffected vineyards to build a new legacy. So began the rise of Rioja in the world of wine and La Rioja Alta has been at the forefront ever since.
The 2018 La Rioja Alta 'Vina Alberdi' Reserva is made of 100% estate-grown Tempranillo from vines averaging well over 40 years old grown at 500 to 600 meters above sea level in the heart of prized Rioja Alta area on chalky clay soils. Rioja Alta's high-altitude vineyards produce wines of wonderful balance and elegance that are prized above the other areas of Rioja. La Rioja Alta has been crafting hand-made world-class wines here for well over 120 years. Literally, everything is done by hand in a wonderfully old-school style. The wine is aged 2 years in American oak, the first year in new barrels, and then the second year in 3-year-old barrels to ensure that the oak does not dominate but that the gorgeously supple textures and wonderfully deep complexity are at the forefront. In this cool 2018 vintage, all of the top blocks that often go into their top-tier more expensive wines like the 904 that cost over 3 times this price are included in this beauty. The complexity and vibrant depth that fruit brings to the table really shows!
The 2018 La Rioja Alta 'Vina Alberdi' Reserva is a gorgeous red garnet-purple color in the glass. The nose is simply beautiful with aromas of black cherries, red berries, and wild strawberry interwoven with hints of caramel, tobacco, earth, licorice, and leather. There is a wonderful touch of wildflower and orange peel that add perfume to this delicious red. In the mouth, the wine is supple and perfectly balanced with rich dark berry and black cherry fruit supported with mouth-watering freshness and glassy tannins that give the wine wonderful precision. Hints of mineral and earth complement the plush fruit at its core perfectly and the wine is simply elegant in every way with gorgeous purity and a fantastically long, juicy finish that is impossible to resist.
A pretty nose of raspberries, cassis, fresh herbs, vanilla and sweet spices. It’s medium-bodied with round tannins. Creamy and fruity with chocolatey character on the mid-palate. Supple finish with excellent length. Tangy acidity. 100% tempranillo.
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.
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