Rioja
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Classic roasted lamb (Cordero Asado), grilled ribeye steak with rosemary, and aged Spanish cheeses such as Manchego.
✨ Technical Specifications
Marqués de Riscal stands as a towering monument in Rioja's winemaking history. Founded in 1858 by Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga, the Marqués de Riscal, this estate revolutionized the region by introducing Bordeaux-style winemaking techniques, including the use of oak barrels and gravity-fed cellars. Perhaps their most famous legacy is the iconic gold wire mesh wrapping the bottles, originally designed in the late 19th century as a security seal to prevent counterfeiters from refilling the bottles with inferior wine. Their signature Rioja Red is predominantly crafted from Tempranillo, often complemented by small percentages of Graciano and Mazuelo, sourced from the chalky-clay soils of Rioja Alavesa. Aged traditionally in American oak casks, this wine develops a complex profile characterized by ripe dark forest fruits, toasted coconut, sweet vanilla, leather, and balsamic undertones, representing the quintessential, elegant soul of classic Rioja.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1858 by Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga, Marqués de Riscal is one of the oldest and most pioneering wineries in Spain's Rioja region, situated in the historic town of Elciego. The estate revolutionized Spanish viticulture by introducing Bordeaux-style vinification and barrel aging techniques, earning worldwide acclaim as the first non-French wine to win the Diploma of Honor at the Exhibition of Bordeaux in 1895. In addition to its legendary, structured Rioja Reserva and Gran Reserva Tempranillo expressions, the bodega expanded into Castilla y León in the 1970s, playing an instrumental role in establishing the Rueda appellation with benchmark Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc wines. Today, Marqués de Riscal seamlessly fuses classical winemaking mastery with avant-garde innovation, epitomized by its iconic Frank Gehry-designed winery complex.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo