Profile

Structure

Bodymedium
Tanninmedium
Acidityhigh
Sweetnessdry
Finishlong
Oakoak aged

Drinking window

Latest scored vintage 2015: best 2023 to 2040.

vintage8 yrs25 yrs27 yrs

Critic scores

CriticVintageScore
Tim Atkin reviewed 2022201594/100

Scores as published by each critic for the vintage shown.

In the glass

Medium-bodiedMedium tanninHigh acidityDryLong finish

Aroma: red cherry, dried herb, tobacco, cedar, balsamic

Palate: savoury red fruit, fine tannin, spice, leather

Reborn as a Gran Reserva, Vina Arana is the more elegant, fresher and more savoury of the house's classic pair, with a touch of French oak adding finesse.

What it pairs with

With cheese

Queso Camerano Our pick Two years or more in oak and long bottle ageing make Gran Reserva Rioja mature and complex, medium in tannin and high in acidity; curado Camerano, hard, salty and faintly bitter with wild-herb notes, meets that depth, and the acidity cuts its fat.

How to serve Vina Arana Gran 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

Once a Reserva, Vina Arana was relaunched as a Gran Reserva in the 2010s, positioned as the more elegant counterpoint to the fruitier Ardanza.

  1. 1976Vina Arana established
  2. 2012Relaunched as a Gran Reserva

Facts

Producer
La Rioja Alta S.A. · visiting guide
Grapes
Tempranillo (95%), Graciano (5%)
Classification
DOCa Rioja
Oak
Around 3 years in American and French oak, then long bottle ageing
ABV
13.5%
Price
EUR 30 to 50 at retail
Drinking window
8 to 25 from vintage
First vintage
1976

Frequently asked about Vina Arana Gran Reserva

What does Vina Arana Gran Reserva taste like?

On the nose, red cherry, dried herb, tobacco, cedar, balsamic. On the palate, savoury red fruit, fine tannin, spice, leather. Structurally medium-bodied, medium tannins, high acidity with a long finish. Reborn as a Gran Reserva, Vina Arana is the more elegant, fresher and more savoury of the house's classic pair, with a touch of French oak adding finesse.

When should I drink Vina Arana Gran Reserva?

Drink 8 to 25 from vintage. Young vintages benefit from 30-90 minutes of decanting; mature bottles should be handled carefully for sediment.

What food pairs with Vina Arana Gran 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 Arana Gran 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 Arana Gran Reserva?

The blend is Tempranillo (95%), Graciano (5%). The wine is classified as DOCa Rioja.

Tags

cellar worthy dry graciano high acid medium body medium tannin mood elegant mood savoury occasion cellar occasion special old world pairs with aged cheese pairs with game pairs with red meat price premium still red tempranillo

Taste it where it is made: tastings near La Rioja Alta S.A.

La Rioja: Guided Bike Tour

Starts 18 km awayGuided tour3.5 hours4.9 from 27 reviewsfrom €75

Discover the natural landscape of Ezcaray. Visit the hidden gems wineries of La Rioja. Explore where the Spanish Language born in San Millan. Feel like a pilgrim doing...

Check dates and book

Wine tastings and winery visits in Rioja (14) · Wine tours and day trips in Rioja (13)

See all 59 bookable experiences in Rioja

← Back to wines in Rioja