Remelluri Rioja Reserva (2016)

#40 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2025

Remelluri, one of Rioja Alavesa’s most historic estates, traces its origins to the 14th century when monks from the Toloño monastery cultivated vineyards and established a sanctuary on the land. After centuries of changing hands, the property was revitalized in 1967 by Jaime Rodríguez Salís, who modernized winemaking while honoring tradition. Since 2010, his children Telmo and Amaia have led the estate—Telmo, a celebrated winemaker, focusing on site-specific, organic, and biodynamic practices, and Amaia advancing cultural and environmental initiatives that reinforce Remelluri’s polyculture landscape. Certified organic in 2013, the estate now spans 150 hectares at elevations between 590–805 meters, producing wines renowned for their elegance, freshness, and longevity.

2016 Reserva is classically-styled, offering the best of everything: balance and freshness paired with beautiful phenolics and silky tannins, backed by moderate alcohol levels. The 2016 is built to age and improve for decades, certainly one of the very best vintages of the decade, with similar excellence expected from the upcoming 2019 and 2020.

Blend: 83% Tempranillo,10% Garnacha, 7% Graciano