Remírez de Ganuza: mastering Rioja since 1989

The Riojan winery has collected five Master medals in the Global Masters, entering the top ranking of wineries with the most awards in the history of the competition.

Founded in 1989 and located in the centre of Samaniego, Álava, Remírez de Ganuza makes contemporary Rioja wines. The winery has 80 hectares of its own vineyards spread over 240 plots in different locations in the foothills of Sierra Cantabria.

The wines are characterised by their complexity, elegance, balance and ageing capacity. Specialising in Reservas and Gran Reservas, the collection includes revered old vintages that gain appreciation annually.

Collector’s wines hold rarity and are coveted by sommeliers and wine enthusiasts globally. From the emblematic Gran Reserva 1994 to the iconic Reserva 2004, awarded 100 Parker points, and the Reserva 2006, acclaimed as the best Rioja wine of 2020 by the drinks business, one thing is clear: Remírez de Ganuza wines gain complexity with time.

The six wines with the highest award, granted by db, are:

Gran Reserva 2005
Master Medal at Rioja Masters 2019

“An outstanding Gran Reserva Rioja that belies its near 20 year-old state, this 2005 expression from Remirez de Ganuza is delicious now, but still has a long life ahead of it. Mingling with notes of blackcurrant and cherry, plum and damson, is sage and dried mint, cedar and cinnamon, then sweet orange, to bring a soft but refreshing edge to what is an intense, ripe and powerful wine. Along with all the fruit and barrel-sourced flavours is a dense mouth-coating tannin component, which brings a dry finale to this fleshy red, making you salivate, and want to take another sip. An ideal red for roasted suckling pig, barbecued lamb with rosemary, or any chargrilled marbled red meat.” Patrick Schmitt MW

Gran Reserva 2009
Master Medal at Rioja Masters 2023 and Best Gran Reserva over £100 at the Spanish Report 2023

“An outstanding, if pricy, example of Gran Reserva Rioja, a class of long-aged red that Remírez de Ganuza has perfected. More than double the age of the category’s minimum five-year maturation requirement, this wine has notes of cedar and orange from a gradual evolution in barrel and bottle, but also a surprising note of youth too. This is apparent in the dense and fleshy blackcurrant, cherry, plum and damson fruit flavours, married to characters of dark chocolate, dried mint, sage and cinnamon, as well as mouth-coating dry tannins that make you salivate. A wine for red meat or hard cheese.” Patrick Schmitt MW

Reserva 2006
Master Medal at the Rioja Masters 2020 & Named Best Rioja of the 2020

“Using very old vine fruit, aged in a mixture of French and American oak, this is a concentrated, layered, and lifted glass of wine, with flavours ranging from soft, fleshy, dark cherry to vanilla and coconut, orange zest and sweet balsamic, while it has a gently chewy sensation on the finish, providing a lovely dry finale that encourages you to keep sipping, probably more quickly than you should.” Patrick Schmitt MW

Reserva 2007
Master Medal at the Spring Tasting 2022

“If you want a reliably fine, long-lived Rioja, then Remírez de Ganuza will deliver it, at all levels. Richly present in this wonderful version are Rioja’s hallmark characters, from dark cherry to black pepper, sweet balsamic to cedar, plums to coconut, while the mouthfeel is bright, with maturing ripe fruit, fresh acidity, and plenty of fine, dry tannins to make you salivate.” Patrick Schmitt MW

Reserva 2009
Master Medal at the Rioja Masters 2022 and chosen amongst the top 10 wines of the 2022

“Now more than 10 years old, this outstanding wine is drinking beautifully now, with plenty of mature characters, from leather and sweet balsamic, along with stewed fruit, and even a note of berry compote. Complementing these flavours is a touch of cedar, dark chocolate and spice, as well as a lovely texture, that starts fleshy and finishes chewy and fresh. A great Rioja, and a fine wine that’s ready to drink.” Patrick Schmitt MW

María 2007
Master medal at the Rioja Masters 2023 & chosen Best overall Rioja at the Spanish Report 2023

“Called María Remírez de Ganuza, after the daughter of the winery’s founder, this is the bodega’s top expression, using grapes from a south-facing site featuring Tempranillo vines with an average age of 60 years. The wine, even after more than 15 years of maturation, still tastes lively, dense and tannic, with masses of juicy, sweet raspberry and blackberry fruit, then notes of stewed cherry, cedar, cracked pepper, sage and clove, followed by lingering notes of fresh blood orange and dark chocolate. It may be warming and powerful, but it’s also dry and mouthwatering. Serve with chargrilled meat garnished with fresh herbs.” Patrick Schmitt MW