Gran Reserva
⏳ Drinking Window
2025 - 2040
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roast lamb, slow-cooked beef stew, and aged Manchego cheese.
✨ Technical Specifications
Marqués de Riscal, founded in 1858 by Guillermo Hurtado de Amézaga, is a pioneer of modern Rioja winemaking, famously introducing Bordeaux techniques to the region. This Gran Reserva represents the pinnacle of their traditional style, crafted from old vines—often over 30 years old—grown in the clay-limestone soils of Rioja Alavesa. The blend is dominated by Tempranillo, supported by Graciano and Mazuelo. It undergoes extensive aging in American oak casks followed by years in the bottle, developing a complex profile of ripe dark fruit, leather, balsamic notes, and sweet spices. A historical touch is the winery's signature gold wire mesh, originally designed in the late 19th century to prevent counterfeiting.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1858 by Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga, Herederos del Marqués de Riscal pioneered modern viticulture in Spain by importing Bordeaux vinification techniques and oak barrel maturation to Rioja Alavesa. Situated in Elciego, the estate capitalizes on high-altitude vineyards framed by the Sierra de Cantabria, planted on chalky clay-limestone soils under a moderating Atlantic-continental microclimate. In the 1970s, Riscal drove the revival of Rueda, introducing Sauvignon Blanc and rejuvenating indigenous Verdejo. Across both denominaciones, the producer champions sustainable, regenerative viticulture, with all estate vineyards in Rueda certified organic and Rioja holdings transitioning swiftly. Winemaking balances classical European elegance with precision: the Reserva and Gran Reserva bottlings deliver supple Tempranillo infused with Graciano and refined via American oak, while the cuvée Barón de Chirel embodies concentrated, old-vine terroir mastery. Crowned by Frank Gehry's architectural masterpiece, Marqués de Riscal remains a global benchmark uniting 19th-century cellar heritage with contemporary oenology.
🍇 Grapes
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo