2006 Bodegas Urbina Rioja Reserva Especial 750 ml

For a winery, holding back a Rioja Reserva for 15 years is fiscally insane, but it shows tremendous respect—and even affection—for fans of Spain's most famous wine region.

Bodegas Urbina showed that affection by cellaring their 2006 Rioja Reserva Especial until now. A wine that Decanter crowned with a 94-point score and called “a must for lovers of old-style Rioja,” it’s a perfectly aged, organically farmed Rioja grown in a highly regarded vintage—the kind of bottle that ANY red-wine aficionado should be thrilled about.

Bodegas Urbina, a Rioja Alta house founded in 1870, predates the creation of the DO system by 62 years. Their holdings lie in and around the village of Cuzcurrita del Río Tirón, an area noted for a cooler climate and an extended harvest season, both of which help produce reds with vibrant acidity and a beautiful fresh-fruit character. 

Today, it’s run by brothers and fourth-generation winemakers Angel, Pedro, and Santiago Urbina, who make classically styled Riojas that emphasize complexity and nuance. They ferment the wine in stainless-steel tanks then age it in a mix of new and used American and French oak. During this time, they occasionally rack it back into stainless steel so the team can remove sediment, clean the barrels, conduct sampling, and soften the tannins with gentle oxygenation.

The Rioja DOCa regulatory council rated the 2006 vintage as Very Good, while Decanter gave it four out of five stars, noting the year’s “good quality fruit and fresh, supple and crisp wines.” At peak maturity but still good to go for another eight years, this bottle is all that and then some.