We bring you the results in full from this year’s Rioja Masters, which drew attention to the quality and value on offer from this famous Spanish region, while highlighting the star buys, be they whites or rosés, Reservas or Viñedos Singulares.
IF ONE were asked to name a single element about the wines of Rioja following our annual tasting competition on the region, it would be the incredible value on offer.
Whether it were ones under £10 or those over £30, these are drops that have so much appeal for relatively little cash. They are wines with ripe juicy fruit, structure, spice, and freshness – and that latter point is key: such is the bright character of Rioja it makes you salivate, even when the wines are loaded with sweet oak and fleshy berry fruit.
But a second facet to this famous Spanish wine region is diversity. The breadth of styles is remarkable, from the entry-point simple appealing red to the complex and fine ageworthy wines at the top end. Then there are fruity or delicate rosés, light or oak-aged whites, and, among the reds at all levels, a range of tastes, from the medium-weight to the punchy, rich and tannic.
With this in mind, I have chosen a top 10 selection from this year’s Rioja Masters competition to take in all types of this excellent wine – from a joven to a very old gran reserva; a pale salmon rosado to a barrel-fermented blanco, along with a couple of outstanding single-vineyard options taking in the newly formed Viñedo Singular classification.
Such was the quality of wines in this year’s Rioja Masters, it was extremely hard to narrow this list down to just 10 (which you can see by clicking here) and none of the medallists in the following tables would disappoint – indeed, any of them would delight.
- Read on for the results in full and further information about the competition.
White Joven
| Winery | Name of wine | Vintage | Medal | |||
| Under £10 | ||||||
| Bodegas Campo Viejo | Campo Viejo Blanco | 2020 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Faustino | Art Collection Viura Chardonnay | 2018 | Silver | |||
| £10-£15 | ||||||
| Bodegas Campillo | Campillo Blanco Fermentado en Barrica | 2020 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Riojanas | Monte Real Tempranillo Blanco | 2020 | Bronze | |||
White Crianza
| Winery | Name of wine | Vintage | Medal | |||
| £10-£15 | ||||||
| Eguren Ugarte | Crianza Blanco | 2019 | Gold | |||
White Reserva
| Winery | Name of wine | Vintage | Medal | |||
| £30-£50 | ||||||
| Rioja Vega | Tempranillo Blanco Reserva | 2018 | Master | |||
White Vinos de Autor
| Winery | Name of wine | Vintage | Medal | |||
| £10-£15 | ||||||
| Rioja Vega | Blanco Colección Tempranillo | 2020 | Silver | |||
Rosé Joven
| Winery | Name of wine | Vintage | Medal | |||
| Under £10 | ||||||
| Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres | Excellens Rosé | 2020 | Silver | |||
Red Joven
| Winery | Name of wine | Vintage | Medal | |||
| Under £10 | ||||||
| Bodegas Faustino | Faustino VII | 2020 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Campo Viejo | Garnacha | 2020 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Campo Viejo | Tempranillo | 2019 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Faustino | Faustino VI | 2020 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Faustino | Faustino IX | 2020 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Ugalde | Ugalde Tempranillo | 2019 | Bronze | |||
| £10-£15 | ||||||
| Bodegas Valoria | Viña Valoria Tempranillo | 2019 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Campillo | El Niño de Campillo | 2020 | Silver | |||
| £15-£20 | ||||||
| Bodegas Riojanas | Monte Real Garnacha | 2020 | Bronze | |||
Red Joven
| Winery | Name of wine | Vintage | Medal | |||
| Under £10 | ||||||
| Bodegas Faustino | Crianza | 2018 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Navajas | Los Vinateros | 2016 | Gold | |||
| £10-£15 | ||||||
| Eguren Ugarte | Crianza Tinto | 2018 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Riojanas | Viña Albina Crianza | 2019 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Cosme Palacio | Glorioso Crianza | 2017 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Campillo | Crianza | 2018 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Faustino | Art Collection Crianza | 2018 | Silver | |||
| Rioja Vega | Edición Limitada | 2018 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Ugalde | Crianza | 2018 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Riojanas | Monte Real Crianza | 2019 | Bronze | |||
| £15-£20 | ||||||
| Bodegas Cosme Palacio | Viñedos de Altitud Crianza | 2017 | Silver | |||
Red Reserva
| Winery | Name of wine | Vintage | Medal | |||
| Under £10 | ||||||
| Bodegas La Eralta | Altos de Bergasa Reserva | 2016 | Silver | |||
| £10-£15 | ||||||
| Bodegas Cosme Palacio | Glorioso Reserva | 2016 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Faustino | Art Collection Reserva | 2016 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Faustino | V Reserva | 2016 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Campo Viejo | Campo Viejo Reserva | 2016 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas La Eralta | Altos de Bergasa Reserva | 2016 | Silver | |||
| £15-£20 | ||||||
| Bodegas Bilbaínas | La Vicalanda Reserva | 2015 | Gold | |||
| Rioja Vega | Reserva | 2017 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres | Reserva | 2016 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Riojanas | Viña Albina Reserva | 2018 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Ugalde | Reserva | 2017 | Bronze | |||
| Bodegas Bilbaínas | Viña Pomal Reserva | 2015 | Bronze | |||
| £20-£30 | ||||||
| Bodegas Marqués de Vitoria | Reserva | 2015 | Master | |||
| Zinio Bodegas | Reserva | 2017 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Cosme Palacio | Viñedos Viejos Reserva | 2015 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Riojanas | Monte Real Reserva | 2018 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Campillo | Reserva Colección | 2016 | Silver | |||
| £30-£50 | ||||||
| Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres | Gaudium | 2016 | Master | |||
| Bodegas Campillo | Campillo Gran Reserva | 2015 | Master | |||
| Bodegas Faustino | Icon Especial Selección | 2016 | Gold | |||
Red Gran Reserva
| Winery | Name of wine | Vintage | Medal | |||
| £10-£15 | ||||||
| Bodegas La Eralta | Altos de Bergasa Gran Reserva | 2014 | Gold | |||
| £15-£20 | ||||||
| Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres | Gran Reserva | 2014 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Campo Viejo | Gran Reserva | 2014 | Gold | |||
| £20-£30 | ||||||
| Bodegas Ugalde | Gran Reserva | 2015 | Master | |||
| Bodegas Riojanas | Monte Real Gran Reserva | 2014 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Riojanas | Viña Albina Gran Reserva | 2014 | Silver | |||
| Bodegas Cosme Palacio | Glorioso Gran Reserva | 2014 | Silver | |||
| £30-£50 | ||||||
| Rioja Vega | Gran Reserva | 2011 | Master | |||
| Bodegas Bilbaínas | Viña Pomal Gran Reserva | 2014 | Master | |||
| Bodegas Campillo | Campillo Gran Reserva | 2015 | Master | |||
| Bodegas Faustino | Campillo 57 Gran Reserva | 2013 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Faustino | Faustino I Gran Reserva Magnum | 2011 | Gold | |||
| £50+ | ||||||
| Bodegas Riojanas | Monte Real Gran Reserva Magnum | 1975 | Master | |||
Red Vinos de Autor
| Winery | Name of wine | Vintage | Medal | |||
| £10-£15 | ||||||
| Zinio Bodegas | Zinio Street Art Collection | 2020 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Ugalde | Felipe Ugalde Crianza | 2018 | Gold | |||
| Eguren Ugarte | Eguren Ugarte Cuarenta | 2018 | Gold | |||
| Eguren Ugarte | Eguren Ugarte Cincuenta | 2016 | Silver | |||
| £15-£20 | ||||||
| Viñas Leizaola | Caminos de Sacramento | 2019 | Gold | |||
| £20-£30 | ||||||
| Bodegas Campo Viejo | Dominio de Campo Viejo | 2016 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Ugalde | Felipe Ugalde graciano | 2017 | Silver | |||
| £30-£50 | ||||||
| Bodegas Ysios | Ysios Selección | 2016 | Master | |||
| Viñas Leizaola | El Sacramento | 2017 | Gold | |||
| Bodegas Ugalde | Felipe Ugalde Reserva | 2016 | Silver | |||
| £50+ | ||||||
| Bodegas Ysios | Ysios Finca El Nogal | 2017 | Master | |||
| Bodegas Bilbaínas | Viña Zaco Viñedo Singular | 2017 | Master | |||
About the Competition
The Rioja Masters is a competition created and run by the drinks business, and is an extension of its successful Masters series for grape varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as other regions such as Tuscany and Champagne, along with styles from rosé to sparkling.
The competition is exclusively for Rioja wine, and the entries were judged using Riedel Chianti glasses supplied by Sensible Wine Services.
The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolade – the
title of Rioja Master.
The entries were judged on 4 November at 28º-50º Covent Garden. The judges were: Andrea Briccarello, Martin Hudson MW, Patrick Schmitt MW, Patricia Stefanowicz MW, Tim Tiptree MW, and Siobhan Turner MW. This report features the medal-winners only.
Please visit The Global Masters website for more information, or, to enter future competitions please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com