2009 Bodegas Riojanas Vina Albina Gran Reserva Rioja 750 ml

Gran Reserva Rioja never ceases to astound us. Nowhere else in the world of fine wine will you find such an accessible, perfectly aged bottle that is the TOP offering of an iconic, 132-year-old producer.

At 14 years old, the 2009 Bodegas Riojanas Vina Albina opens up to warm and inviting fragrances of plums, stewed cherries, tobacco, vanilla, potpourri, and leather, then delivers a rich palate full of fresh and stewed red and black fruits. It’s remarkably spry for its age, which is why it was an obvious pick for our MICHELIN shipment with San Francisco’s two-star Saison.

Bodegas Riojanas sits in the heart of Rioja Alta, in Cenicero, and was launched in 1890 during the glory years of the region. In this area, the vineyards are prized for their combination of Rioja Alta’s elegance and structure with Rioja Alavesa’s power and fruit. Cenicero also sits far enough away from Haro, Rioja’s commercial center, that Riojanas has been able to maintain full control of their own wine production—not to mention the most prime sites around the town.

The bodega’s ability to realize the potential of those vineyards is thanks to winemaker emeritus Felipe Nalda—who Master of Wine Tim Atkin called a “Legend of Rioja” in 2020—and his nephew Emilio Sojo Nalda, who began at his uncle’s side in the 1990s and is now chief winemaker.
They ferment the wines in large, upright clay tinajas before aging them for three years in American oak barrica (barriques)—two crucial steps in crafting the perfumed, multifaceted Viña Albina we taste today. Drink it at home with a big plate of paella or enjoy on its own—either way, it will pack tons of enjoyment.