|
|
 |
|
|
Rioja (Red)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year
|
|
WOW Rating
|
%
|
|
2004
|
Superb vintage, classic wines.
|
Hold
|
94
|
|
2003
|
Hot, dry year, long-aging wines.
|
Hold
|
91
|
|
2002
|
Smallest vintage in 10 years. Variable quality. Keep to top names.
|
Drink or Hold
|
87
|
|
2001
|
Excellent year for long aging Reservas and Gran Reservas
|
Hold
|
94
|
|
2000
|
A generally good vintage with fine Reservas
|
Drink or Hold
|
89
|
|
1999
|
Smaller vintage of good quality
|
Drink or Hold
|
88
|
|
1998
|
Good vintage
|
Drink or Hold
|
97
|
|
1997
|
Unexciting so far, but quaffable
|
Drink or Hold
|
84
|
|
1996
|
Good year, plenty of aging potential
|
Hold
|
89
|
|
1995
|
Very good vintage, Reservas no showing excellent fruit
|
Hold
|
92
|
|
1994
|
Outstanding, some great long-aging wines
|
Drink or Hold
|
94
|
|
1993
|
Lesser wines, apart from best-known names
|
Drink
|
77
|
|
1992
|
Rather light vintage
|
Drink
|
80
|
|
1991
|
Still improving, average quality
|
Drink or Hold
|
85
|
|
1990
|
Fairly ordinary but quaffable
|
Drink
|
84
|
|
1989
|
Good, firm structure
|
Drink
|
88
|
|
|
|
|
NB: Most Rioja comes in 3 basic styles:-
- CRIANZA: Ready for drinking at an early stage but must be not less than 2 years old.
- RESERVA: Wines that have been aged in American oak for a minimum of one year and in bottle for 2 years. In practice a large number of
houses age their wines in oak for 2 years. Many Reservas are ideal for drinking when 5-7 years of age, but in the best vintages will improve.
- GRAN RESERVA: Wines that have been aged in American oak for a minimum of 2 years and in bottle for 3 years before release.
Gran Reservas are often delicious from 7-12 years but some will age for 20 years or more.
|
|
|
|
Last updated January 2006
|
|
|
|
Rioja Reserva & Gran Reserva
Vintages of the Eighties
|
|
|
|
Since Rioja Reservas and Gran Reservas age so well, we have included a vintage
chart of the previous decade, ie, the eighties.
|
|
|
|
|
Year
|
|
WOW Rating
|
%
|
|
1989
|
Goodish vintage, well balanced
|
Drink
|
88
|
|
1988
|
Fairly good vintage, well balanced wines
|
Drink
|
88
|
|
1987
|
Very attractive vintage, now at peak
|
Drink
|
90
|
|
1986
|
Average year, now drinking well
|
Drink
|
87
|
|
1985
|
Average year, now drinking well
|
Drink
|
87
|
|
1984
|
Disappointing, with problem weather
|
Avoid
|
80
|
|
1983
|
Don't keep it any longer
|
Drink
|
86
|
|
1982
|
Now past its best
|
Drink
|
83
|
|
1981
|
Superb wines, finest will keep longer
|
Drink
|
90
|
|
1980
|
Average vintage, don't keep any longer
|
Drink
|
86
|
|
|
Last updated on July 23, 2008