Five delicious white Riojas, one rosé and a sparkling
Rioja is home to more than just barrel-aged reds, it is also the source of fine sparkling, refreshing rosé, as well as first-rate whites – with the latter style yielding our top performing wine in the latest Rioja Masters.
As you can read about in our report on the competition – which was held at the end of last year – for the first time since this long-running tasting was launched, it was a white wine that took home the honour of being declared the Grand Master – the name given to the sample achieving the highest average score.
That wine was a creamy-citric, rich-yet-refreshing white reserva Rioja made by Bodegas Martínez Lacuesta, which you can read more about by scrolling down. But such excellence was not in isolation, with this year’s competition featuring a range of fine whites, as well as one excellent sparkling rosado, and a still pink wine of remarkable value.
Continue reading to see our selection of great wines from the region that aren’t red, while to find out about those that are, see our selections of top reservas, gran reservas and vinos de autor by clicking on the links below.
12 magnificent rule-breaking Riojas
The best Rioja Reservas of 2025
BODEGAS EGUREN UGARTE BRUT NATURE SPARKLING ROSADO 2023
- Producer: Bodegas Eguren Ugarte
- Grape variety: Garnacha Tinta
- ABV: 12.5%
- Approx. retail price: £15.50
- Medal: Gold
Made using the traditional method with 15 months on the lees, this wine is a delicious crowd-pleaser. Pale vieux rose in colour with persistent bubbles, the wine has red berry fruit and a hint of yeast. Just dry and very fruity, the light-bodied palate shows good fruit definition, supported by brisk acidity and brittle mousse texture. The lifted finish suggests that this is perfect as an aperitif and works well with light canapés, such as trout caviar and crème fraîche on blinis. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
MARQUÉS DE CARRIÓN ANTAÑO ROSADO 2024
- Producer: J García Carrión
- Grape variety: 100% Tempranillo
- ABV: 12.5%
- Approx. retail price: £10
- Medal: Gold
The Marqués de Carrión winery, which produces this example, is located in Labastida in Rioja Alavesa. The wine, medium salmon-pink in hue, shows crushed red roses accenting delectable cranberry, wild strawberry and griotte fruit. Just dry, the medium-bodied palate has surprisingly intense flavours, balanced by fresh acidity and a hint of tannic grip. Plum notes on the finish suggests pairing with grilled salmon and a lemon-spiked cream sauce. Very good value. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
MANUEL QUINTANO RIOJA BLANCO SOBRE LÍAS 2023
- Producer: Bodegas Manuel Quintano
- Grape varieties: 95% Viura, 5% Tempranillo Blanco
- ABV: 13%
- Approx. retail price: £16
- Medal: Gold
With 50 hectares of old vines near Labastida in Rioja Alavesa, the Unión de Cosecheros de Labastida produces a wide range of high-quality wines, including this delightful white Rioja under the Bodegas Manuel Quintano label. Pale yellow-coloured, the wine shows mirabelle plums with cream and intriguing yellow flower overtones. Soft on the attack, the light-bodied palate evolves to exhibit lively acidity and custard notes. A textural wine with good length, it will be a good pairing for chicken Florentine, made with just a hint of garam masala in the cream sauce served over the spinach and chicken. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
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LAR DE PAULA EDICIÓN LIMITADA 2023
- Producer: Bodegas Lar de Paula
- Grape varieties: 75% Viura, 25% Malvasía
- ABV: 13.5%
- Approx. retail price: £18
- Medal: Gold
Established in 1964 in the little village of Elvillar in Rioja Alavesa, Lar de Paula has undertaken special viticultural research to express the local terroir, and this wine is one result of those R&D projects, augmented by careful winemaking. A plush-textured example of blanco Rioja reserva, this wine displays fresh golden apples, quince and yellow plum fruit with overtones of vanilla and coconut. Dry, the palate has concentrated flavours with brisk acidity and a creamy texture. Toasty oak accents come through on the savoury finish. Delicious with a seafood paella. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
LA VICALANDA TEMPRANILLO BLANCO 2020
- Producer: Bodegas Bilbaínas
- Grape variety: 100% Tempranillo Blanco
- ABV: 13.5%
- Approx. retail price: £22
- Medal: Gold
It’s not just Viura that makes great blancos in Rioja, but increasingly the white version of the region’s emblematic Tempranillo grape. This example from La Vicalanda is brilliant and priced around the same level as a bottle of Chablis, with which it shares a similar lemony freshness and chalky interest. But the Rioja also has notes of crisp apple, a touch of cream and just a subtle hint of toast from six months in French oak foudres. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
FAUSTINO I BLANCO GRAN RESERVA 2021
- Producer: Bodegas Faustino
- Grape varieties: 66% Viura, 34% Chardonnay
- ABV: 13%
- Approx. retail price: £25
- Medal: Gold
A delicious and brilliant-value expression of a rare and uniquely Riojan wine: blanco gran reserva. Bursting with flavours of caramel and coconut, the extending ageing in barrels is clearly apparent, but so too is the lively, lemony fruit, along with grapefruit pith, complemented by smoky notes, such as the lingering and lovely character of grilled nuts on the zesty finish. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
BODEGAS MARTÍNEZ LACUESTA HINIA 2021
- Producer: Bodegas Martínez Lacuesta
- Grape variety: 100% Viura
- ABV: 13%
- Approx. retail price: £80
- Medal: Grand Master
For the first time, our best wine of the competition was white, a reflection of the quality potential of barrel-aged Viura, and confirmation that Rioja’s blancos are on the ascendant. As for the character of our Grand Master, called Hinia, this reserva white Rioja is an outstanding wine, with layers of wonderful flavours, combined in a way one tends to only find in this Spanish region. There are notes of caramel and baked apple, toast and almond, combined with grilled lemon and blood orange, along with a touch of beeswax. As for the texture, it’s an appealing mix of oak-influenced richness and grape-derived freshness, with a citric edge, along with a fine dusting of tannins too, ensuring the finish is dry and mouthwatering – as well as suitable for a range of foods, particularly Spanish tortilla, or aged Manchego with fried padron peppers. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
Read more
All the medallists from The Rioja Masters 2025
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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