The best Rioja Reservas of 2025

For many, the sweet spot in Rioja’s classification system is Reserva – a style of wine with ripe red fruit and complementary vanillin from ageing in oak. But not all expressions are equal, and we have picked out the best.

All the Reservas featured below have been selected from this year’s Rioja Masters – which is the biggest blind tasting in the UK for wines from this famous Spanish region – and every single one of these bottles picked up a Gold medal, or, in the case of one, the ultimate accolade of Master.

The following Riojas range from £14 – representing the amazing value that has made Rioja so popular – to £150, proving that Reservas can compete in the niche world of fine wine.

What gives Rioja Reserva such enduring appeal? When it’s as good as the bottles below, it relates to the fact the wines are relatively good value, even at high prices; they are released ready to drink, often in a fairly mature state; while they have a lovely balance between fleshy fruit and fresh acidity, as well as a complementary combination of grape-sourced characters and barrel-derived flavours.

Put these elements together, and you have a wine with a consistent and identifiable style, which is rarely replicated as well from elsewhere – meaning that if you love Rioja Reserva, you’ll unlikely to be satisfied by imitations from other parts of the world.

MARQUÉS DE VITORIA RESERVA 2021

• Producer: Bodegas Marqués de Vitoria
• Grape varieties: 91% Tempranillo, 9% Graciano
• ABV: 14.8%
• Approx. retail price: £14
• Medal: Gold

A youthful wine, bright ruby in colour. The nose is intense raspberry and dried cherry fruit with a touch of bacon fat and vanilla, and perhaps just a hint of coconut. The oak on the palate is noticeable but well-integrated. It has a beautiful texture, with a really juicy fruit core, more plums and prune emerging in the mouth. The tannins are silky-smooth and it has a beautiful texture with a lovely nuttiness on the finish. (Siobhan Turner MW)

MARQUÉS DE CARRIÓN RESERVA 2024

• Producer: J García Carrión
• Grape variety: 100% Tempranillo
• ABV: 13.5%
• Approx. retail price: £15
• Medal: Gold

Located in Rioja Alavesa, south of Haro along the banks of the Ebro river against the backdrop of the Cantabria Mountains, the Marqués de Carrión winery produces exceptional, great-value Riojas. This example, very deep ruby-coloured, shows dark cherry and cranberry fruit with overtones of vanilla and mocha. Dry and medium-bodied, the palate has lively acidity and linen-textured tannins in support. A good choice for baked devilled pork chops with onion, lemon juice, grainy mustard, Worcestershire sauce and paprika. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES RESERVA 2019

• Producer: Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres
• Grape varieties: 95% Tempranillo, 5% others
• ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £16
• Medal: Gold

The nose has great depth, with beautiful strawberry, raspberry and hints of blackberry emerging, layered with vanilla and mace, and a touch of coconut. On the palate, rich Brazil nut flavours emerge, with a touch of sour plum. It has a firm tannic grip, nicely polished, with great balance and good length. A perfect accompaniment to roast pheasant, or duck with a plum sauce. (Siobhan Turner MW)

LABASTIDA RESERVA 2019

• Producer: Labastida
• Grape variety: 100% Tempranillo
• ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £22
• Medal: Gold

A wonderfully complex nose greets you from the glass, with red berry fruit, vanilla and coconut, cinnamon, hazelnuts and just a touch of sassafrass and cream. It has a lovely balance, with great richness and length, and an underpinning structure that beautifully supports the richness of the fruit and spice. A serious and delicious wine, perfect for daube de boeuf or roast bone marrow. (Siobhan Turner MW)

BERONIA 198 BARRICAS RESERVA 2020

• Producer: Bodegas Beronia
• Grape varieties: 97% Tempranillo, 2% Graciano, 1% Mazuelo
• ABV: 14%
• Approx. retail price: £25
• Medal: Gold

Beronia only makes this wine in exceptional years. Careful winemaking comprises cold maceration and maturation in mixed oak barrels for two years, followed by two years in bottle before release. Deep ruby-hued with just a hint of garnet on the rim suggesting development, the wine displays dark cherry and pomegranate, accented by cigar box, vanilla pod and forest floor. Complex, the palate is medium-bodied with the flavours framed by brisk acidity and velvety tannins. Concentrated, layered and lingering, the wine is a good match for roast poussin stuffed with wild, red and white rice in a red wine-barberry sauce. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

MARQUÉS DE VARGAS RESERVA 2020

• Producer: Bodega Marqués de Vargas
• Grape varieties: 75% Tempranillo, 15% Mazuelo, 10% Garnacha
• ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £38
• Medal: Gold

Bodega Marqués de Vargas began in 1840 when Don Felipe de la Mata, VIII Marqués, planted vineyards at Hacienda Pradolagar in Rioja Alta. The reserva is considered the flagship of the bodega. Aged in French oak barricas, the wine displays a deep ruby core with a cherry edge. Dried cranberry, red cherry and blackberry permeate the nose, accented by toasty oak. The mid-weight palate is framed by fresh acidity and velvet-textured tannins. Well-defined with good length, the wine is a superb match for chicken with ripe cherries balanced by Sherry and a hint of Tabasco zip. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES GAUDIUM 2021

• Producer: Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres
• Grape variety: 100% Tempranillo
• ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £54
• Medal: Gold

If you love rich, structured, and lively reds with depth, flesh, and dry, mouthwatering tannins, then Gaudium is a must. Due to the very old bush-vine Tempranillo used to make this delicious red, there’s a wealth of intense and powerful black cherry fruit, even a touch of raspberry jam, prune and then, following the 18 months this wine spends in fine French oak, there are also notes of chocolate, toast and a touch of sweet balsamic too. Spicy, chewy, ripe and juicy, you might want to serve Gaudium with grilled meat, particularly lamb with fresh rosemary. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

REMÍREZ DE GANUZA RESERVA 2010

• Producer: Bodegas Remírez de Ganuza
• Grape varieties: 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano, 2.5% Viura, 2.5% Malvasía ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £150
• Medal: Master

Based on our tastings over the course of many years, it’s safe to say that this is the benchmark Rioja Reserva. Expensive for the region it may be, but as a truly fine wine – which it undoubtedly is – it’s not unreasonably priced. It delivers instant appeal on release, already with 15 years of barrel and bottle ageing. As for the character of this outstanding wine, well, it will make the drinker smile with its mature fruit flavours, spice, grip and wonderful mix of sweetness and freshness – as it combines baked cherry and prune with blood orange and tangerine peel. Other flavours include cedar, black pepper, leather and balsamic, which reveal themselves in lingering layers as this medium-weight wine slides down the throat with mouthwatering ease, leaving behind a gentle, fine, dry and ripe tannin. While it is wonderful to drink now, it could easily be kept for another 10 years or more. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

About the competition

With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, The Rioja Masters provides a chance for your wines to shine. The 2025 competition was judged on 17 September at COMO Halkin in London, employing experienced judges. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolades – the titles of Rioja Master or Grand Master.

Please visit the Global Masters website for more information or, to enter future competitions, with a chance to appear in print and online, call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Aston at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com

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