2015 Marques del Atrio Rioja Reserva 750 ml

Melding earthy sophistication with juicy, high-toned energy, this Rioja Reserva proves yet again that Spanish wines offer incredible bang for the buck. 

At the importer’s request, we tasted this bottle blind, guessing on both region and price. The first part was easy: With striking typicity, the wine was undoubtedly high-elevation Rioja. On price, we might have been a little off. That’s because this is an expertly crafted Reserva that tastes like classic Riojas that can command a hefty sum—but it’s priced like an everyday drinker.

Winemaker Rodrigo Espinosa is both a technician and a poet. His reading of the vineyards of Mendavia, situated at nearly 2000 feet of elevation, is second to none. The vines are low-yielding, guaranteeing deep concentration and aromatic complexity, and Espinosa picks at the peak of ripeness and freshness.

In the cellar, the carefully selected grapes get destemmed, then a small amount are crushed before they go into the fermenter. During the controlled ferment in stainless-steel tanks, the cellar team does regular pump-overs to extract color and flavor from the skins. After fermentation, the wine goes into oak for two years of aging. Espinosa introduces just enough French and American oak to keep the rugged tannins polished, integrating the wine into a bright, harmonious whole.