Price Drop: Bodegas Ondarre Rioja Gran Reserva 2019

Gran Reserva represents the pinnacle of Rioja's classification system, requiring a minimum of five years ageing with at least 18 months in oak barrels. This Ondarre spent 18 months in French and American oak, developing the complex layers of vanilla and coffee notes that define the category. The extended ageing process creates a more refined, polished wine with greater depth and longevity compared to Crianza or Reserva levels.

The combination of French and American oak is a masterful blending technique that maximises complexity. American oak typically imparts stronger vanilla and coconut flavours along with a softer tannin structure, while French oak contributes more subtle spice notes and firmer tannins. This dual-oak approach allows Bodegas Ondarre to achieve both the rich vanilla characteristics and the sophisticated textural backbone that makes this Gran Reserva so well-balanced.

Mazuelo, known elsewhere as Carignan, is a traditional Rioja blending grape that adds crucial structure and longevity to Tempranillo-based wines. While Tempranillo provides the elegant fruit core and medium body, Mazuelo contributes deeper colour, higher acidity, and spicy complexity that enhances the wine's ageing potential. This partnership is particularly important in Gran Reserva wines, where the additional backbone helps the wine develop gracefully over decades.

The flavour profile reflects both the grape varieties and the oak treatment working in harmony. Tempranillo naturally provides the blueberry fruit character, while the 18-month oak ageing develops the coffee and vanilla notes through the interaction between the wine and the toasted barrel staves. The coffee notes often emerge from the combination of fruit concentration and oak tannins, while vanilla comes directly from compounds in the oak wood, particularly American oak.

A 95-point score from Decanter World Wine Awards places this wine in exceptional territory, indicating outstanding quality that significantly exceeds expectations for its price point. Decanter's rigorous blind tasting process means this Gran Reserva competed against wines from around the world and impressed expert judges with its complexity, balance, and typicity. The Gold Medal recognition further confirms this represents benchmark Rioja craftsmanship that rivals much more expensive bottles.