Martínez Lacuesta 1928 Reserva Especial (Embotellado 1965)

Wine: Martínez Lacuesta 1928 Reserva Especial
Winery: Bodegas Martínez Lacuesta (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 65% tempranillo, 35% garnacha, mazuelo, viura
ABV: 12% vol.
Winemaking
This wine was sourced from a selection of the Lacuesta family's oldest estate-owned vineyards (majuelos). It underwent fermentation and an initial 24-month maturation in a single large wooden vat (6,000–7,000 liters) without temperature control. The wine was then extensively aged for an additional 10 years, until 1940, in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels to develop its unique character, undergoing periodic manual rackings. This was followed by a secondary maturation in used wooden vats for 25 more years—reaching a total of 300 months of aging. It was eventually hand-bottled directly from the casks in mid-1965.
Historical Note: This late bottling was personally selected by the estate owners and vinified separately to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Bodegas Martínez Lacuesta (1895–1965)."

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: The wine presents an extremely pale, translucent brownish-ruby hue, with an exceptionally low pigment load. It is one of the clearest, most pristine, and brilliant wines we have ever encountered; its color stability defies logic after nearly a century since the harvest. A very fine sediment is present at the base of the bottle, which must not be disturbed to avoid clouding the wine.

 

Nose: Expressive, as profound as it is ethereal, possessing immense complexity and a powerful momentum that continuously builds. It opens with subtle volatile notes that immediately project a trail of withered flowers, kirsch-soaked red fruit, pomegranate juice, and strawberry tree fruit (madroños). This is underpinned by a faintly balsamic and citrusy backdrop of lemongrass and orange twist. It radiates quality, flashing notes of cedar, cigar box, and exotic woods. Beautiful, ethereal, and mysterious; it displays fantastic poise and solidity, devoid of any rough edges. Upon aeration, it continues to evolve, acquiring a stunning autumnal character of forest floor, humus, walnut bark, and marron glacé

 

Nose: On the palate, it is silky, almost devoid of tannins, with a deceptively light and fragile appearance due to its pale color. A tightly wound, fresh, and sharp red—more linear than broad—driven by a vibrant acidity and unrelenting tension. There is a certain structural 'grip' that provides freshness and allows the wine to take hold with remarkable strength. Simply extraordinary! Without a doubt, this is one of the most majestic wines ever crafted in Rioja. It has defied the barriers of time, retaining so much life that it is hard to believe it is nearing its centenary. Even six decades after bottling, it hasn't lost an ounce of energy. I would venture to say it is in its prime, with a window of 25–30 years still ahead of it. This wine deserves our utmost reverence. It represents Rioja at its absolute zenith. A unique and unrepeatable masterpiece that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.

Personal Score: 100
Price: 450€

Muga 1973 Gran Reserva

Wine: Muga 1973 Gran Reserva
Winery: Bodegas Muga (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 40% Tempranillo, 40% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo, 10% Viura
ABV: 12.5% vol.

Winemaking:
Forty percent of the grapes are sourced from estate vineyards, with the remainder coming from small Rioja Alta growers and trusted local producers. Each variety is vinified separately. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in 18,000-liter wooden vats, followed by racking to clean vats using dried grape stalks as a natural filter. The wine remains for 12 months in vats and horizontal tanks for malolactic fermentation and stabilization. It is aged for 36 to 48 months in seasoned American oak barrels (average age of 12 years), many of which are crafted in the winery's own cooperage. Manual rackings occur every four months, followed by fining with fresh egg whites. It undergoes a minimum of four years of bottle aging in the Station District cellars before release.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Very light ruby color with low depth; translucent and brilliant. Limpid and sediment-free, featuring amber and garnet reflections. Broad, tile-colored rim, barely distinct from the meniscus. High viscosity with persistent tearing.

 

Nose: Immediately striking; an undeniable masterpiece. A Muga with an ethereal, autumnal spirit—as deep, seductive, and elegant as the greatest 1973 Riojas. It maintains the absolute purity of overripe fruit (strawberry tree, pomegranate, redcurrant) supported by a perfume of the finest reduction. A complex medley of pipe tobacco, ground peppercorns, dried morels, violet candies, truffle, moss, and Russian leather, with an unusual background of bancha tea, abaca, and jute fibers. Full of personality and unquestionable quality.

 

Palate: Its apparent fragility and lack of color transform into remarkable solidity and balance. Firm and expressive in every phase: caressing to the touch, vibrant on the palate, and exceptionally fine as it flows. Its duration and persistence are hard to believe. While a classic Rioja, it offers an extra dimension compared to the Prado Enea of the same period, combining power with ethereal lightness. Fresh, enveloping, and as weightless as it is concentrated.

 

Commentary:
Without a doubt, the finest Muga wine tasted to date. This 1973 Gran Reserva confirms the legendary status of its vintage, achieving a rare harmony between structural intensity and weightless elegance. A landmark of traditional Rioja winemaking at its absolute peak.

 

Personal Score: 98
Tasting Group Average: 97

Viña Ardanza 1986 Reserva

Wine: Viña Ardanza 1986 Reserva
Winery: La Rioja Alta S.A. (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 70% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha, 5% Graciano and Mazuelo
ABV: 12.5% 

Winemaking
Most of the grapes are sourced from the Viña Ardanza estate in Montecillo, along with small growers from Haro, Briñas, Briones, Villalba, and Labastida. The Garnacha was selected from various vineyards in Tudelilla. Initial fermentation took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks before transferring to 18,000-liter seasoned oak tuns for 6 months of refining. It was then moved to used 225-liter American oak barrels for an aging period of 36 to 42 months, with a total of 7 manual rackings. It rested for a minimum of 24 months in the bottle prior to its commercial release. 

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Bottle in perfect condition; impeccable cork. Reddish-ruby of medium-low depth; very clear, translucent, and clean, though with a significant amount of very fine sediment at the base. Reddish and brownish highlights with muted brilliance. Broad, brick-colored rim that blends into the meniscus. Strong sense of viscosity with thick, permanent legs.

 

Nose: A tsunami of tertiary notes that intensify with aeration. Initially bordering on the offensive—reduced and near extinction: antique shop, old furniture, lacquers, sacristy, honeycomb, incense, and racking-room aromas. After several hours of decanting and breathing, it sheds its descriptors of decrepitude, leaving an austere ensemble of overripe fruit, carob, prunes, and toasted notes (hearth, embers). A powerful animal foundation of old leather emerges, wrapped in a bundle of vegetable fibers.

 

Palate: Slightly lacking in strength, with an inconsistent acidity. Light on the palate but generous in form—creamy and vanillic, with some slight alcoholic edges that soften as the temperature drops. It shows an excess of "waist". An Ardanza that demands to be drunk as soon as possible, yet pairs perfectly with hearty dishes like judiones con oreja (large white beans with pig's ear). 

 

Personal Score: 85
Tasting Group Average: 87

Viña Tondonia 1995 Gran Reserva

Wine: Viña Tondonia 1995 Gran Reserva
Winery: R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia
Appellation: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 5% Graciano and Mazuelo
ABV: 12%

Winemaking
All grapes sourced from estate vineyards. Hand-harvested starting October 9th and transported in traditional comportas. The wine spent 6 months in wooden vats to complete fermentation. It was then aged for 10 years in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels, crafted by the winery’s own cooperage, with two manual rackings (trasiegas) per year. Clarified with fresh egg whites and bottled directly from the cask without filtration. Sealed with a special wax capsule for optimal bottle evolution. Limited production of 24,687 bottles. It rested for a minimum of 10 years in the winery's subterranean cellars (calados) in Haro before its release in early 2016.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Ruby-red of medium-high depth; opaque and limpid with no sediment. Highlights of copper and garnet; brilliant and radiant. Narrow, saffron-colored rim. Very fine, persistent legs.

 

Nose: Good intensity; perfumed with vanilla and vegetal hints that provide a clear youthful aspect, contrasting with the maturity of the 1994 vintage. Serious, open, and fresh—not at all fatiguing. It reveals discrete notes of aromatic herbs, bay leaf, and a soft damp earth background that remains consistently in second place without dominating the ensemble. Utterly seductive.

 

Palate: Caressing, dry, and concentrated, bolstered by an intense acidity that infuses it with energy and freshness. It shows finesse and "impeccable manners." Luxurious, lustrous tannins of immense quality. Its extreme youth and solidity are surprising; it has yet to fully unfurl. An excellent investment for the next 20 years. Drinking it now is almost nonsensical, and assessing its full potential today would be premature. Tasted alongside the Tondonia 2004 Reserva and the Tondonia 1994 Gran Reserva. An extraordinary trio.

 

Personal Score: 92

Viña Tondonia 2004 Reserva

Wine: Viña Tondonia 2004 Reserva
Winery: R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 10% Mazuelo and Graciano
ABV: 12.5%

Winemaking
Vineyards located on the right bank of the Ebro River, at altitudes between 438 and 489 meters. Soils range from alluvial to clay-limestone with presence of gravel and pebbles. Hand-harvested starting October 11th. The wine spent 6 months in legacy 60-hectoliter oak vats without temperature control for fermentation and stabilization. It then underwent 6 years of aging in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels, crafted by the winery’s own cooperage, with two manual rackings per year. Clarified with fresh egg whites. 260,000 bottles produced. It rested for a minimum of 4 years in the bottle in the historic Haro cellars before its release.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Ruby-red of medium depth; clear and limpid with no sediment. Garnet and orange highlights; brilliant. Narrow, copper-colored rim.

 

Nose: Powerful and complex. It presents a core of spices (clove, black pepper, bay leaf) that meld with notes of cola candy and even some "wild" maceration hints—grape skins, orange peel. It comes across as tight and "untamed", yet to fully open. Very pure. Insultingly youthful.

 

Palate: Concentrated, vibrant, savory, and full-bodied; showing immense finesse and personality. This is the quality of wine that should define Rioja Alta: fresh, refined, and pure, with marked acidity and excellent raw material. It plays in a different league. The framework is compact, leaving the impression of a truly great wine. The tannins are still slightly prickly and a few excesses remain to be polished, but these are virtues in such a young wine.

 

Review: An extraordinary Tondonia Reserva that stands in contrast to recent vintages. It is perhaps the most sober and austere red I have ever tasted from this winery. Impeccable, without frills or redundancy; no oak excess, overflowing with energy and already showing remarkable balance. In my view, it possesses an unprecedented aging potential. While enjoyable now in its youth, it is hard to say just how much it will grow. A magnificent wine of great purity, faithful to the winery's history but with the added quality we have come to expect in recent years. The current level of Tondonia, both white and red, is at its peak. While other wineries succumb to market pressures and lose their identity, R. López de Heredia is living its golden age.

 

Personal Score: 93
Price: 25 €

Glorioso 1994 Gran Reserva

Wine: Glorioso 1994 Gran Reserva

Winery: Bodegas Palacio (Laguardia, Álava)
Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietal: 100% Tempranillo
ABV: 13%

Winemaking
The fruit was sourced primarily from smallgrowers in Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta, complemented by estate-grown grapes from old vines surrounding the winery in Laguardia. Following de-stemming, the must underwent fermentation in temperature-controlled vats, followed by a four-week maceration period. The wine was aged for 36 months in 225-liter French oak barrels, with at least two manual rackings (barrel-to-barrel) per year. It was clarified using fresh egg whites and bottled unfiltered directly from the cask. Finally, it underwent a minimum of two years of bottle aging in the winery’s historic underground cellars before its release in 2000.

Tasting notes

 

Appearance: A deep garnet-red with medium-high opacity, showing more extraction than other contemporary releases from the estate. It displays brilliant copper reflections and a significant amount of sediment. The rim is narrow and distinctly orange-toned against the meniscus.

Nose: Initially dominated by oak influence, featuring toasted notes, rich spices, and an overarching chocolatey backdrop. Despite its age, it maintains a remarkable freshness with no signs of over-ripeness—a departure from the winery's typical style of that era. As it breathes, it reveals subtle layers of coffee beans, ash, old leather, and a delicate hint of orange peel. It is an expressive, immediate wine, though not entirely "classic" in profile, showcasing a strong varietal character.

Palate: Slightly tight on the entry, it soon reveals a solid structure underpinned by vibrant acidity. It is well-balanced, broad, and savory, showing seamless integration with no harsh edges. This is a reliable Gran Reserva, technically flawless and remarkably robust. There is a sense that it may not have even reached its full peak yet, suggesting further aging potential. While it sits slightly in the shadow of the Reserva Especial bottlings produced by the winery in the mid-90s, it remains an excellent, rewarding wine.

 

Personal Score: 90

Tasting Group Average: 90