La Rioja Alta, S.A.
Founded on 10 July 1890 in Haro's legendary Station Quarter, La Rioja Alta defines classical Rioja through meticulous American oak aging, an in-house cooperage, and decades of proven aging potential.
La Rioja Alta, S.A. was founded on 10 July 1890 by five Riojan and Basque families in Haro's Barrio de la Estación, making it one of Spain's oldest continuously family-linked bodegas. Ranked fourth most admired winery in the world by Drinks International, it owns over 587 hectares of vineyards and produces wines exclusively in the best vintages, with yields of approximately 34 hl/ha. The bodega is defined by extended aging in American oak from its own in-house cooperage, traditional manual racking by candlelight every six months, and a stock reserve equivalent to roughly eight years of sales.
- Founded 10 July 1890 in Haro's Barrio de la Estación by five Riojan and Basque families; Saturnina García Cid y Gárete, a woman, served as the winery's first president
- The bodega's first winemaker was Monsieur Vigier, a Frenchman, who created the Reserva 1890, the predecessor to today's Gran Reserva 890
- In 1904 founder Alfredo Ardanza merged his own winery with La Rioja Alta, an event commemorated by the Gran Reserva 904 label
- The bodega owns over 587 hectares of vineyards and maintains yields of approximately 34.43 hl/ha, around 24% below the authorised Rioja maximum
- La Rioja Alta operates its own in-house cooperage, importing American oak, seasoning it for two years, and crafting all barrels to its own specification; it holds more than 50,000 casks in stock at any time
- Gran Reserva 904 is aged four years in American oak plus approximately four years in bottle before release and is produced on average four to five times per decade at around 120,000 bottles; Gran Reserva 890 receives six years in American oak and is produced in even more exceptional years at around 60,000 bottles
- Ranked fourth most admired winery in the world by Drinks International; the bodega today leads a group of four estates: La Rioja Alta S.A., Torre de Oña (Rioja Alavesa), Áster (Ribera del Duero), and Lagar de Cervera (Rías Baixas)
History and Origin
La Rioja Alta, S.A. was founded on 10 July 1890 in Haro's Barrio de la Estación by five Riojan and Basque families who pooled vineyards, land, and capital. Their first president was Saturnina García Cid y Gárete, a woman, and their first winemaker was a Frenchman, Monsieur Vigier, whose first wine was the Reserva 1890, the forerunner of today's Gran Reserva 890. The bodega was established adjacent to the Haro railway station in the same year the rail link to Bilbao opened, allowing efficient export of wines to northern Europe at a time when French vineyards were devastated by phylloxera. In 1904, co-founder Alfredo Ardanza proposed a merger of his own Bodegas Ardanza with the group, an event commemorated by the Reserva 1904, which eventually became the Gran Reserva 904. The company formally adopted its current name, La Rioja Alta S.A., in 1941, and descendants of the founding families continue to form a major part of its shareholding and management today.
- Founded 10 July 1890 in Haro's Barrio de la Estación by five Riojan and Basque families; Saturnina García Cid y Gárete was first president
- First winemaker Monsieur Vigier, a Frenchman, created the Reserva 1890, predecessor to Gran Reserva 890
- 1904 merger with Bodegas Ardanza, owned by co-founder Alfredo Ardanza, commemorated by the Reserva 1904, later renamed Gran Reserva 904
- The Viña Ardanza brand was formally registered on 28 September 1942; the company name became La Rioja Alta S.A. in 1941
Why It Matters
La Rioja Alta represents the gold standard for classically produced, age-worthy Rioja. It has been ranked the fourth most admired winery in the world by Drinks International and is widely regarded as a benchmark for Tempranillo-based elegance. At a time when many Rioja producers have shifted toward French oak, shorter aging regimes, or single-vineyard labelling outside the traditional classification system, La Rioja Alta has remained committed to American oak, manual racking, and releasing wines only when they are ready to drink. This philosophy creates wines that are already mature on release yet capable of evolving for decades further, a combination that makes them essential reference points for educators, sommeliers, and collectors alike.
- Ranked fourth most admired winery in the world by Drinks International, a rare achievement for a Spanish producer
- Maintains strict quality selectivity by producing wines only in the best vintages and using only estate-grown grapes
- Demonstrates that traditional American oak aging and manual racking produce wines of international critical acclaim, including 100-point scores from multiple publications for the 2010 Gran Reserva 890
- Provides the clearest living example of classical Rioja style at a time when many peers have moved toward international winemaking conventions
Vineyards and Viticulture
La Rioja Alta owns over 587 hectares of vineyards concentrated in Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, with additional holdings through its sister estates in Ribera del Duero and Rías Baixas. Tempranillo is the dominant variety, complemented by Graciano, Mazuelo, and Garnacha. Vineyard yields average approximately 34.43 hl/ha, around 24% below the authorised Rioja maximum of 45.5 hl/ha, a deliberate choice to concentrate quality in each grape. The bodega also operates a modern winery in Labastida in addition to its historic Haro cellars, and it deploys optical grape-selection technology to ensure only fruit meeting the strictest quality criteria reaches the cellar. Key vineyard sites include Villalba, Briñas, Labastida, Rodezno, Briones, Fuenmayor, and Cenicero, with Garnacha for Viña Ardanza sourced from Tudelilla in Rioja Oriental.
- Over 587 hectares of estate vineyards in Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa; Tempranillo is the primary variety alongside Graciano, Mazuelo, and Garnacha
- Average yields of approximately 34.43 hl/ha, around 24% below the authorised Rioja maximum, to concentrate grape quality
- Key sites include Villalba, Briñas, Labastida, Rodezno, and Fuenmayor; Garnacha for Viña Ardanza comes from Tudelilla in Rioja Oriental
- Optical grape-selection technology deployed at the winery alongside traditional hand harvesting in small refrigerated boxes
Winemaking Philosophy
La Rioja Alta's winemaking is defined by a commitment to American oak and extended aging that sets it apart from the majority of Rioja's modern producers. The bodega operates its own cooperage, importing wood from the United States, seasoning it for two years in the open air, and crafting all barrels in-house. It holds more than 50,000 casks and 6.4 million bottles in stock at any one time, equivalent to approximately eight years of sales, enabling it to release wines only when they are genuinely ready to drink. Manual racking is performed every six months by candlelight across the entire range, from Viña Alberdi up to Gran Reserva 890. Wines are bottled without filtration, and the company is adamant about using only American oak, preserving the distinctive savory, vanilla-inflected style that has defined quality Rioja since the late nineteenth century.
- In-house cooperage sources and seasons American oak for two years before crafting barrels to the bodega's own specification
- Holds more than 50,000 casks and 6.4 million bottles in stock, equivalent to roughly eight years of sales, releasing wines only when ready
- Manual racking performed by candlelight every six months across the entire portfolio; wines bottled without filtration
- Exclusively American oak; no French oak used, preserving the classic savory, vanilla-driven Rioja house style
Wines and Flagship Releases
La Rioja Alta produces five principal wines under the Rioja D.O.Ca. label. Viña Alberdi is a 100% Tempranillo Reserva and the most approachable entry point to the house style. Viña Ardanza Reserva, registered in 1942 and the bodega's most widely produced label at around 500,000 to 600,000 bottles, blends 80% Tempranillo with 20% Garnacha from Tudelilla, each variety aged separately in American oak for 36 and 30 months respectively. Gran Reserva 904 is a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano aged four years in American oak followed by approximately four more years in bottle before release; it is produced four to five times per decade at around 120,000 bottles. Gran Reserva 890, the most age-worthy and rarest release at roughly 60,000 bottles, blends 95% Tempranillo with small proportions of Graciano and Mazuelo and spends six years in American oak with ten manual rackings before an extended bottle rest. The 2015 Gran Reserva 904 was designated the first-ever Selección Especial for that label; the 2010 Gran Reserva 890 received 100-point scores from multiple Spanish publications.
- Gran Reserva 890: 95% Tempranillo, 3% Graciano, 2% Mazuelo; six years in American oak, ten manual rackings, extended bottle aging; produced in exceptional years only at around 60,000 bottles
- Gran Reserva 904: 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano; four years in American oak plus approximately four years in bottle; produced four to five times per decade at around 120,000 bottles
- Viña Ardanza Reserva: 80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha; varieties aged separately for 36 and 30 months respectively in American oak; brand registered 28 September 1942
- Viña Alberdi Reserva: 100% Tempranillo; the entry-level wine and most approachable expression of the house style
The La Rioja Alta Group
While La Rioja Alta S.A. in Haro remains the founding estate and heart of the operation, the group has expanded into three other Spanish wine regions. Torre de Oña is located in Rioja Alavesa and focuses on wines from that subzone's distinctive limestone soils. Áster produces Ribera del Duero wines and recently unveiled renovated winery facilities. Lagar de Cervera, based in Rías Baixas in Galicia, produces Albariño under D.O. Rías Baixas. All four estates operate with the same philosophy of estate-grown fruit, careful selection, and a commitment to releasing wines only when they are ready. This multi-regional portfolio allows the group to showcase Spain's diversity while maintaining the meticulous standards established in Haro in 1890.
- Torre de Oña in Rioja Alavesa: focuses on wines from that subzone's clay-limestone soils
- Áster in Ribera del Duero: recently reopened after major renovations, expanding the group's presence in Spain's other great Tempranillo region
- Lagar de Cervera in Rías Baixas: produces Albariño under D.O. Rías Baixas, showcasing the group's Galician Atlantic dimension
- All four estates share the founding bodega's philosophy of estate fruit, selective harvesting, and quality over volume
La Rioja Alta wines are defined by integrated American oak and refined structure rather than extracted power. On the nose, Viña Ardanza delivers red cherry, plum, clove, vanilla, and tobacco, with Garnacha contributing a characteristic spicy, almost warming quality. Gran Reserva 904 opens with wild red berries and black cherry before revealing tobacco, black pepper, tea, mocha, vanilla, and cinnamon from extended barrel contact. Gran Reserva 890 is more restrained in youth, offering forest floor, truffles, cedar, cigar ash, and dried fruit with exceptional depth. On the palate across the range, expect silky, polished tannins, precise and driving acidity, and a seamless mouthfeel that reflects years of careful barrel selection and manual racking. With age, all wines develop tertiary complexity including leather, dried herbs, earth, and spice while retaining the bright acidity and elegant texture that make them exceptional food wines.