2016 Solar de Alarcos Crianza Rioja 750 ml

The 2016 Solar de Alarcos Crianza is a stunning, smooth, and powerful Rioja that bottles everything we love about the region. Introduced to us by a Rioja native, this stellar Tempranillo lit up the table at a paella festival in Carneros this spring, stealing the scene from both vintage Napa Cabernets and Spanish heavyweights. 

This insider bottling is normally reserved for tascas along Madrid’s Plaza Mayor and Barcelona’s Las Ramblas. It’s a touchstone expression of Rioja energy and purity, capturing the finesse of northern Spain’s pebbly, sun-bleached terroir in a smooth and sultry red.

If this kind of Rioja seems too good to be true for $18.99, that’s because it normally is. But thanks to our boots on the ground in Spain, this locals-only red is now in the United States for the first time... and it's ready to WOW.

“It’s got the power of an Alta Expresión,” our friend Martin explained as he poured, referring to the popular modern style of Rioja that emphasizes bold, Napa-like opulence. “But the family was careful to apply restraint, picking early to ensure beautiful acidity and traditional elegance.” It helped that 2016 was a 95-point banner year for the region.

The 2016 Solar de Alarcos is produced by the family-owned Reserva de la Tierra, whose deep roots in top Spanish regions has lent the family the expertise to perfectly capture the nuances of Rioja in any vintage. Because of their long stewardship of the vineyards behind this wine, the team is able to release Solar de Alarcos at an unheard-of value price that we’re passing on to you—because everyone should understand just how good Spanish wine can be in an outstanding vintage. 

Made in the traditional style with aging in American oak—similar to Wine Access member-favorite and California icon Silver Oak—this wine sings with its place of origin: rows of gnarled, old-vine Tempranillo that roll like waves beneath a blue sky and the peaks of the Cantabrian Mountains. 

The youngest of Rioja’s aged wines, crianzas must be aged six months in barrel and two years total. But top estates—like Reserva de la Tierra—often age them beyond those requirements, making crianzas like this one some of the best values anywhere in the world.

The wine was an instant favorite at the table, gorgeously complementing the dish of the night. Martin’s family connections to the estate provided us with an in, and from there we doggedly pursued today’s Rioja. Today we’re thrilled to share this standout Spanish bargain with you.