2020 La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Rioja Reserva....$23.99 / 750mlA classical, typical Rioja Alta red with elegant notes of vanilla, coconut, smoked spices and strawberries. Refined and suave, with fine tannins and a long, creamy finish. Juicy and elegant. Really approachable now, but give it two more years to get more mushroom complexity.
Rated 93/100 James SucklingThe younger wine here is the 2020 Viña Alberdi, a versatile version of the Haro reds. It was produced with Tempranillo fermented in stainless steel and matured in American oak barrels for two years (it's sold as Reserva in international markets and Crianza in Spain). It has 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.6 and five grams of acidity. It has a classical nose of ripe fruit, American oak and spices, the subtle notes of forest floor, still young. The palate is velvety and very balanced with polished tannins. Approachable but should also age. 650,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2023.
Rated 92/100 The Wine AdvocateHints of tobacco, smoke and vanilla are a fragrant thread winding through the baked cherry and raspberry fruit, cocoa powder and red licorice notes on display in this lively, harmonious, focused red. Fine, crisp tannins firm the finish. Drink now through 2030. 54,166 cases made, 15,000 cases imported.
Rated 91/100 The Wine Spectator
Only 3 Magnums left
2018 La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Rioja Reserva....$46.99 / 1.5 liter
A pretty nose of raspberries, cassis, fresh herbs, vanilla and sweet spices. It’s medium-bodied with round tannins. Creamy and fruity with chocolatey character on the mid-palate. Supple finish with excellent length. Tangy acidity. 100% tempranillo. Drink or hold.
Rated 93/100 James Suckling
Their young and fresh red 2018 Viña Alberdi, already a Reserva (Crianza in Spain), matured in oak barrel for two years—in new barrels for the first year and in used barrels for the second year. During the élevage, they racked the wine manually from barrel to barrel four times. 2018 was a year of lower alcohol and more freshness in the wines, and they thought the wines were not designed for the long haul; so, they didn't produce any other wine, and so the only wine from 2018 IS VIÑA ALBERDI! Which means that all the Tempranillo grapes that were destined for 890, 904 and all the other wines went to this wine. They didn't use the Garnacha (which was sold in bulk). So, this is a super- Viña Alberdi, which shows more Crianza style in this cooler vintage but with very good depth and complexity, perhaps a more modern and fresher style. The wine has a seamless palate and a juicy texture, with more color than other vintages, more intensity, more fruit... It has grapes from very good vineyards and poor soils that were never destined for this wine. Highly recommendable and very versatile. It has potential to age. They produced a whopping one million bottles of it. It was bottled in March 2021.
Rated 92/100 The Wine Advocate
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