View From the Cellar

• By John Gilman
  May/Jun 2018, Issue #75, The Summer of 2018 Report On Spanish Wines

  (Rioja Reserva “Viña Alberdi”- La Rioja Alta) Subscribe to see review text.

JamesSuckling.com

• By James Suckling
  6/30/2017 (link)

  (La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva, Red, Spain) Subscribe to see review text.

RJonWine.com

• By Richard Jennings
  4/7/2018 (link) 92 points

  (La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva) Medium red violet color; aromatic, spice, dried berry, licorice, light cedar nose; tasty, silky textured, dried berry, cherry, light cedar palate with good balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (great value at under $18) 92+ points

Full Pull

• By Paul Zitarelli
  Full Pull La Rioja Alta, 1/26/2018

  (La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva) Hello friends. Today we have a pair of well-priced beauties from one of our list’s favorite Rioja houses: La Rioja Alta. I think we all love LRA so much because they’re old-school, but not painfully so. On a 1-10 scale where 1 is modern and 10 is old-school, I’d put LRA as a solid 7 or an 8. (Lopez de Heredia I’d put at 10; Ontanon at 4 or 5). Essentially, these are Rioja classics: true to this particular part of the world, but still retaining plenty of accessibility. Essentially, LRA has been stubborn in resisting modernity, going against the grain as much of Rioja has gotten bigger, riper, richer. For that, they are rewarded with love and admiration from those of us who care about terroir expression and who want our Rioja to taste like Rioja, not like new-world Tempranillo. Producers like LRA don’t follow the short-term winds of fashion. They play the long game. They think about how their winery will be viewed in decades, in centuries. Here is the wonderful writer Neal Martin, writing for Wine Advocate back in 2012: La Rioja Alta formed part of my ‘classic Rioja’ day that included Lopez de Heredia and Muga, the triumvirate of wineries in Haro all but a minute’s stroll from each other (which would have been fine, but for the spontaneous downpours). I have admired their wines for many years, Rioja that speaks so eloquently and with such clarity of their place. La Rioja Alta was founded in the town of Haro in 1890. They own 450 hectares of vineyard from which their entire portfolio is sourced, predominantly Tempranillo complemented by Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. Another tenet is their use of American rather than French oak. The wood is cured for two years outdoors before being shaped and hammered into barrels at their own cooperage… Quite simply, these are some of the finest Riojas that can grace your cellar: complex, refined, classic but without compromising fruit intensity and to reiterate: wines that speak about where they come from.Alberdi is notable for a few reasons. First, it’s the lowest-priced wine in the LRA lineup. Second, it’s the only 100% Tempranillo in the lineup, coming from 30-plus-year-old vineyards at 1500-2000’ above sea level. And finally, it’s the youngest of LRA’s wines. Which is of course a testament to Spain in general, and La Rioja Alta specifically, and their insistence on holding their wines until maturity. The fact that the youngest wine in their lineup is a 2011 vintage is just staggering. This was aged for two years in American oak; the first year in a new barrel, and the second in barrels averaging three years old. It was bottled in December 2014, more than three years ago. This particular vintage of Alberdi is also important. As you can see in the Rioja Control Board’s vintage chart, 2011 is the most recent vintage to receive the board’s highest ‘E’ (Excellent) rating. In fact, since 2005 there have only been two ‘E’ vintages, back to back in 2010 and 2011. Alberdi is a strong value in a mediocre vintage; in excellent vintages like 2011, it tends to be popular with consumers and press alike. James Suckling: Copyrighted material withheld. Listed alc is 13.5%, and this begins with a classic Rioja nose: red cherry fruit and earth and mushroom complicated by American oak nuance of cocoa powder and savory dill. It’s classic old-school Rioja on the palate, too, bright and vibrant and chockful of citrusy acidity, all carrying waves of easy-drinking, tobacco-leaf-inflected red fruit. I’d feel totally comfortable buying a 6-pack of this and opening one every other year for the next dozen years. It has the balance and stuffing to evolve in fascinating directions for at least a decade.