Profile

Structure

Bodymedium
Tanninmedium
Acidityhigh
Sweetnessdry
Finishmedium
Oakbarrel aged

Drinking window

Latest scored vintage 2017: best 2020 to 2032.

vintage3 yrs15 yrs17 yrs

Critic scores

CriticVintageScore
Tim Atkin reviewed 2022201792/100

Scores as published by each critic for the vintage shown.

In the glass

Medium-bodiedMedium tanninHigh acidityDryMedium finish

Aroma: red cherry, vanilla, cedar, dried herb

Palate: red fruit, sweet spice, supple tannin, savoury

Labelled Reserva but styled as the house's accessible everyday red: pure Tempranillo with the signature American-oak lift, supple and savoury and a perennial value pick.

What it pairs with

With cheese

Queso Camerano Our pick Curado Camerano, ripened at least 75 days, is hard, with a brown-green mould rind and a salty, slightly bitter finish. A Tempranillo-led Reserva, aged a year or more in oak, brings fruit that softens the bitterness, while the cheese's salt tames the tannin.

How to serve Vina Alberdi Reserva

Allow 65 minutes from open to pour.

  1. Open and decant. Open 60 minutes before serving and pour into a decanter to aerate.
  2. Serve at 14-16°C. Cellar temperature (14-16°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
  3. Glassware. Use a Burgundy bowl with a wide opening: the bowl shape rewards the wine's structure.
  4. Pair with. Cordero asado al sarmiento, Chuleton de buey a la brasa, Jamon iberico. Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.

History

Vina Alberdi is the house's entry Reserva, a pure-Tempranillo wine aged about two years in oak and consistently cited as one of Rioja's best-value Reservas.

  1. 1978Vina Alberdi established as the house entry Reserva

Facts

Producer
La Rioja Alta S.A. · visiting guide
Grapes
Tempranillo (100%)
Classification
DOCa Rioja
Oak
Around 2 years in American oak, with around 12 months in barrels previously used for the Gran Reservas
ABV
14.0%
Price
EUR 15 to 25 at retail
Drinking window
3 to 15 from vintage
First vintage
1978

Frequently asked about Vina Alberdi Reserva

What does Vina Alberdi Reserva taste like?

On the nose, red cherry, vanilla, cedar, dried herb. On the palate, red fruit, sweet spice, supple tannin, savoury. Structurally medium-bodied, medium tannins, high acidity with a medium finish. Labelled Reserva but styled as the house's accessible everyday red: pure Tempranillo with the signature American-oak lift, supple and savoury and a perennial value pick.

When should I drink Vina Alberdi Reserva?

Drink 3 to 15 from vintage. Young vintages benefit from 30-90 minutes of decanting; mature bottles should be handled carefully for sediment.

What food pairs with Vina Alberdi Reserva?

Cordero asado al sarmiento is the canonical pairing. Other strong matches include Chuleton de buey a la brasa and Jamon iberico. Vine-shoot-roasted suckling lamb is the canonical Rioja match; the wine's resolved tannins frame the sweet fat.

Is Vina Alberdi Reserva vegan?

No: the producer uses traditional animal-derived fining agents (typically egg whites or isinglass) during clarification, so the wine is not vegan.

What grapes are in Vina Alberdi Reserva?

The blend is Tempranillo (100%). The wine is classified as DOCa Rioja.

Tags

dry high acid medium body medium tannin medium term mood easygoing mood savoury occasion dinner party occasion weeknight old world pairs with aged cheese pairs with charcuterie pairs with red meat price trade up still red tempranillo value pick

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