Rioja Alavesa Wine Region, Spain: 10 Best Bottles To Buy (2024)

Rioja Alavesa is the smallest subregion in La Rioja, northern Spain, but produces some of the area’s most expensive and age-worthy wines. It’s located in Basque Country and is surrounded by the beautiful Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental subregions.

The nearby River Ebro and Cantabrian mountain range provide Rioja Alavesa with exceptional microclimates that help grow juicy grapes. 

The red and white wines from the region are admired for being fruity, age-worthy, and succulent.

Let’s check out Rioja Alavesa’s terroir, wine taste and characteristics, the 10 best bottles to buy in 2024, and the wines’ investment potential.

Rioja Alavesa Wine Styles And Characteristics

The La Rioja Alavesa region is renowned for its extraordinary red wines primarily made from the Tempranillo grape. These delicious, balanced wines have enticing floral aromas, a fruity flavor, and a velvety-textured palate.

This region also produces white wine in small quantities using the Viura (Macabeo) grape varieties. These wines have tropical fruit flavors, white flower aromas, and ample acidity.

The Remarkable Terroir Of Rioja Alavesa

The Rioja Alavesa region is surrounded by the Cantabrian mountain range, comprising the Sierra de Cantabria and Sierra de Toloño mountains.

The region has microclimates, which are influenced by the Sierra de Toloño and Sierra Cantabria mountains and the Atlantic Ocean’s cooling effects.

Its vineyard sites lie at high altitudes, resulting in cooler temperatures that help create a shorter vine growing season.

The soils in the vineyard sites of the Rioja Alavesa region comprise chalk, clay, and limestone - suited for growing the best vine plants.

Rioja Alavesa’s terroir is generally similar to that of the neighboring La Rioja Alta region. However, La Rioja Alta has an Atlantic climate, while La Rioja Alavesa boasts a combination of Atlantic and Mediterranean climates.

10 Best Rioja Alavesa Wines To Buy In 2024 (Including Wine Tasting Notes)

Here are the 10 best Rioja Alavesa wines you should try in 2024:

1. 1964 Marqués de Riscal Gran Reserva
2. 1958 Marqués de Riscal Reserva
3. 2001 Marqués de Riscal Frank Gehry Selection
4. 1961 Bodegas Faustino I Gran Reserva
5. 1979 Granja Nuestra Senora de Remelluri 'Remelluri' Reserva
6. 1998 Remirez de Ganuza Reserva
7. 2005 Bodegas Luis Cañas Reserva Seleccion de la Familia
8. 1998 El Coto 'Coto de Imaz' Reserva
9. 2015 Bodegas Baigorri Reserva
10. 2013 Bodegas Ostatu Reserva

1. 1964 Marqués de Riscal Gran Reserva ($1,358)

This red wine from the Marqués de Riscal winery boasts supple tannins, floral aromas, and red fruit flavors with spice, vanilla, and cedar notes.

2. 1958 Marqués de Riscal Reserva ($693)

This wine bottle from La Rioja Alavesa has velvety tannins, dark fruit aromas, and tropical fruit flavors with blackberry, plum, chocolate, and vanilla notes.

3. 2001 Marqués de Riscal Frank Gehry Selection ($299)

Made from the finest fruit of old vine plants, this wine displays incredible freshness, intense dark berry aromas, and red cherry aromas with spice notes. 

4. 1961 Bodegas Faustino I Gran Reserva ($243)

This Rioja wine from the Bodegas Faustino winery has lingering acidity, red cherry aromas, and dark fruit flavors with cassis, vanilla, and spice notes. 

5. 1979 Granja Nuestra Senora de Remelluri 'Remelluri' Reserva ($103)

This elegant red wine from the Remelluri winery has black cherry aromas, ample tannins, and red fruit flavors with cedar and dark chocolate notes. 

6. 1998 Remirez de Ganuza Reserva ($87)

This great wine bottle from northern Spain opens with tropical fruit aromas, crisp acidity, and a blackberry flavor with cherry, pepper, and spice notes.

7. 2005 Bodegas Luis Cañas Reserva Seleccion de la Familia ($65)

This ruby-red wine from the Rioja region has supple tannins, ripe fruit aromas, and red cherry flavors with walnut, spice, nutmeg, vanilla, and cedar notes.

8. 1998 El Coto 'Coto de Imaz' Reserva ($58)

This great wine from the El Coto de Rioja winery has smooth tannins, bright acidity, ripe cherry aromas, and red fruit flavors with herb and spice notes. 

9. 2015 Bodegas Baigorri Reserva ($38)

This Rioja wine shines with silky tannins, intense black raspberry aromas, and ripe red fruit flavors with vanilla, licorice, and spice notes.

10. 2013 Bodegas Ostatu Reserva ($24)

Made from the finest Graciano, Garnacha, and Tempranillo grape varieties, this wine has fine tannins, black fruit aromas, and red cherry flavors with vanilla and oak notes.

Are Rioja Alavesa Wines Investment-Worthy?

Most Rioja Alavesa wines are age-worthy and can be cellared for decades, depending on the wines’ aging classification. The Reserva and Gran Reserva wines hold tremendous investment potential and can be cellared for 30+ years.

Rioja Alavesa wines also show great price appreciation. For example, the price of the 1958 Marques de Riscal Reserva grew by a whopping 388%, from $151 in May 2020 to $737 in May 2021.

If you’d like to invest in premium Rioja Alavesa wines, then opt for a reliable wine investment company, like Vinovest, that helps you easily buy, store, and sell investment-grade wines.

Invest In An Exquisite Rioja Alavesa Wine

The finest Rioja Alavesa wines are delicious and investment-worthy, so they deserve a special spot in your wine cellar.

If you’d like to invest in these wines and other bottles from the Rioja region, visit the Vinovest website. It offers a simple way to buy, store, and sell authentic red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, and other bottles from Spain, South Africa, New Zealand, and all over the world.