Remelluri Granja Remelluri Rioja Gran Reserva 2014

We got the best price in the USA on this iconic estate’s top wine, and wow, it is something special! This is equivalent to Rioja’s take on a Bordeaux First Growth – the grandest vineyard, the best selection of fruit, and the most careful winemaking and aging. Double 96 points, plus a whole slew of other top marks make this a top, top Rioja for any collection!

The Remelluri estate's origins date back to the fourteenth century when monks from the Tolono monastery founded a sanctuary and farm at the site. The modern winery was established in 1967 when Jaime Rodríguez Salis purchased the vineyards at the heart of the former estate. Since then, Remelluri has been devoted to recovering the old lands of this historic estate and restoring the original vineyards to pristine working order. In 2010, Jaime’s son and daughter, Telmo Rodríguez and Amaia Rodríguez Hernandorena took the reins of the estate and set about making a series of changes to showcase the potential and diversity of Remelluri’s different terroirs and ultimately reclaim Rioja’s viticultural history.

The first major change was to cut down the production of Remelluri wines by one-third, restricting it to wines produced from the estate’s own grapes. The second major change was farming, in particular their organic certification in 2010, and their preferred use of biodynamic processes. Winery production plays the third role in Telmo’s philosophy, where great care is taken to make sure that each wine reflects the region’s terroir. Wines are fermented with native yeasts, with each plot vinified separately, new oak is used very scantly, and the wines are only lightly filtered and fined.

In 2014, due to some late-season rains, the decision was made to make roughly half of their typical production for this wine. Doing so certainly preserved the high quality, as this wine effortlessly balances concentration with elegance – in a way nearly unmatched by any Rioja I’ve experienced. This is unquestionably built to last – 8 years since harvest, and this wine is still best served by a couple more years in the cellar. Will develop fantastically for decades, as the voluptuous berry fruits will further integrate into the bright freshness of pine needles and savory herbs, while the bright acidity and persistent vein of minerality will work to ensure the wine remains nearly eternally youthful. Simply a tremendous effort on a top-quality Rioja that has rightfully brought the region into the conversation of the greatest wines in the world. Only about 10 cases are available, sadly, so make sure you snag a couple now! We said the BEST price in the entire USA, right?