James Suckling 93
"A pretty nose of raspberries, cassis, fresh herbs, vanilla and sweet spices. Its medium-bodied with round tannins. Creamy and fruity with chocolatey character on the mid-palate. Supple finish with excellent length. Tangy acidity. 100% tempranillo. Drink or hold."

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 92
Their young and fresh red 2018 Via Alberdi, already a Reserva (Crianza in Spain), matured in oak barrel for two yearsin new barrels for the first year and in used barrels for the second year. During the levage, they racked the wine manually from barrel to barrel four times. 2018 was a year of lower alcohol and more freshness in the wines, and they thought the wines were not designed for the long haul; so, they didn't produce any other wine, and so the only wine from 2018 IS VIA ALBERDI! Which means that all the Tempranillo grapes that were destined for 890, 904 and all the other wines went to this wine. They didn't use the Garnacha (which was sold in bulk). So, this is a super- Via Alberdi, which shows more Crianza style in this cooler vintage but with very good depth and complexity, perhaps a more modern and fresher style. The wine has a seamless palate and a juicy texture, with more color than other vintages, more intensity, more fruit... It has grapes from very good vineyards and poor soils that were never destined for this wine. Highly recommendable and very versatile. It has potential to age. They produced a whopping one million bottles of it. It was bottled in March 2021.

Tasting Notes
"The 2018 is La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva Tinto is a lively, medium depth, garnetred color with an intense pink rim. High aromatic intensity with dominating ripe fruit: raspberries, red cherries, wild strawberries and red currants set out against a balsamic background of vanilla, toasted caramel, biscuits, coffee and sweet mints. In the mouth, you can enjoy good acidity, great freshness and balance and mild, friendly tannins. Aromatic harmony persists through the aftertaste, with notes of red fruit jam, prunes, coffee, vanilla and caramel."

Via Alberdi is characterised by a notable food-pairing versatility. It is an ideal companion to appetisers, snacks and barbecues, perfect with rice, pastas and stews, and great with lightly-grilled meat and fish.

About:
La Rioja Alta celebrates its 126th anniversary in 2016. Last year, I only tasted three wines from La Rioja Alta and I tasted six this time. The quality is as good as ever, with superb wines from the almost-perfect 2005 vintage coming into the market. Great Rioja, as traditional as it gets, in good quantity and moderate (and often plain great) prices.

In short the wines are made in the traditional Rioja manner. The company is adamant about not using French oak, keeping the unique Rioja style which has been developed since the end of the 19th century. In spite of the varying amount of time in cask and bottle the wines all display a wonderful rich ruby colour, gorgeous aromas of oak, spices and fruit followed by a sensational feel on the palate, with a wonderful smooth texture, clean rich oaky/fruity flavours and a long lingering finish. All the wines are ready for consumption on release but will keep for many more years in bottle. This situation is almost unique in the world of wine and is the reason why so many restaurants list La Rioja Alta's outstanding range of truly classic Rioja wines.

HISTORY
The Bodega was formed in 1890 as a partnership of 5 quality-conscious growers keen to exploit the export potential for well-made, 'modern' Rioja. At this time, French vineyards were ravaged by phylloxera, and connoisseurs were having to look elsewhere for supplies of fine wine. Rioja, with its excellent climate and soils, had already attracted attention, and experiments with Bordeaux-style vinification and barrique-aging were proving very successful. The region's only real disadvantage was its remoteness, cut off from the lucrative markets to the north by the same mountains that ensured its favorable climate. This problem was solved by construction of the rail link to Bilbao, and it is no coincidence that Bodegas La Rioja Alta was established next to the Haro railway station in the same year it opened.

Vintage
The 2010 harvest offered extraordinary quality. The keys to this great year were: very favourable weather which enabled the vines stay in excellent condition throughout the growth cycle; moderate production yields; and selective picking of our best grapes. This was further enhanced by balanced ripening in terms of acidity and alcohol content, a good polyphenol load and significant varietal typicity. Those are the necessary ingredients to enjoy the wines from a vintage which was officially rated Excellent by the Rioja Control Board.

Vineyards
100% Tempranillo from part of our Las Monjas, Bardal and Las Cuevas vineyards in Rodezno and Alto del Rey in Labastida. These estate-owned vineyards are located at an altitude of 500-600 metres above sea level, planted more than 40 years ago in chalky-clay soils..

Winemaking and ageing
The grapes were picked manually and gently transported to the winery in boxes and refrigerated lorries. Once in the winery, the grapes were destemmed and crushed following the bordelais model. After fermenting, the wine was aged for 2 years in American oak barrels manufactured in-house the first year in new oak and the second in barrels averaging 3 years in age. The wine was manually racked four times by the light of a candle. It was bottled in December 2013.

Tasting
Deep, ripe cherry red, with a clean, bright pink rim. Expansive nose, with dominating ripe red fruit, currants and liquorice, rounded off with sweet notes of vanilla, caramel, jam and spices. The wine is particularly well-balanced, with a smooth, elegant entry, medium body and sweet, tasty tannins. Ripe fruit, herbs, vanilla and caramel come together to mark a pleasant, agreeable finish.