Wine Club: Drinker-friendly Riojas from Mr Wheeler, made with love and care

Everyone loves Rioja. And if they don’t, they should. They’re such drinker-friendly wines, made with love and care in – largely – immaculately run, family-owned wineries, and only ever released when judged to be ready to crack open and knock back.

They’re also superb value compared with Bordeaux ’n’ Burgundy. I mean, when did you last buy a 2006 claret of any standing for less than 25 quid? Well, we’ve a glorious 2006 Rioja here for just £23.50.

I was joined in the garden in choosing my selection from Mr Wheeler by the ever-gasping Mrs Ray and her sister, Felicity, who professed not to be thirsty, but she might manage a drop if a drop was going. Well, they’re peas in a pod these two and, despite their focus drifting somewhat on occasion – gosh they can chat! – I couldn’t open the bottles fast enough.

2020 Terroir de Zinio, Tempranillo Reserva (1) is brand new to Mr Wheeler’s list although they’ve worked with Zinio Bodegas – a highly regarded, 200-strong growers’ cooperative in the heart of Rioja Alta – for more than 20 years. 100 per cent Tempranillo, with two weeks’ skin contact maceration, malolactic fermentation and 18 months in French and American oak, it’s robust and spicy with plenty of rustic dark fruit with herbs and, hmmm, we couldn’t decide whether it was coffee or chocolate on the finish. £21.50 down from £22.95.

Riojas are such drinker-friendly wines, made with love and care in
– largely – family-owned wineries

We offered the 2006 Urbina Rioja Reserva Especial (2) from family-owned, 150-year-old Bodegas Urbina, last year and, although fully mature then, I reckon it’s even finer with the extra nine months in bottle. A blend of old vine Tempranillo with touches of Mazuelo and Graciano, it’s rich and fruity with, according to Mrs Ray, plenty of soft, red strawberries and earthy, autumnal notes on the finish. £23 down from £24.95.

From a single vineyard on a bend of the River Ebro, the 2021 CVNE Contino Reserva (3) is a complete delight. I was at the estate – founded by the Compañia Vinicola del Norte de España and the Pérez Villata family more than 50 years ago – in April and fell in love all over again with its wines, helped in no small part by a shirt-popping, magnum-fuelled lunch in the château. We drank plenty of this, of course, a Tempranillo blend, seasoned with Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacha, and I can vouch for how well it goes with slow-roasted garlic and rosemary-studded leg and confit shoulder of lamb. £23.50 down from £27.95.

The 2004 Urbina Gran Reserva Especial (4) had both Mrs R. and Felicity firmly in what they termed their ‘Rioja zone’. They both loftily declared they’d spot it as a 2004 anywhere but only because they’d copped a squint at the label when I wasn’t looking. We all agreed, though, that it was worth its 95 points and being termed ‘outstanding’ at a recent Decanter retrospective, and we loved its teasing mix of plum/cherry fruit, vanilla and savoury beef bouillon on the finish. £28 down from £29.95.

CVNE’s artisanally produced Imperial wines are only ever made in exceptional years and the 2020 CVNE Imperial Reserva (5) is a cracker, made from the hand-picked fruit of 40-year-old vines, fermented, aged and blended with almost obsessive care. Once I’d finally managed to interrupt the sisters’ debate about outside lighting and the relative merits of Aldi’s special buys vs Dunelm, we got properly stuck in. Mrs Ray loved the soft black fruit, Felicity the whispers of vanilla and I the remarkable concentration of flavour and, well, its sheer elegance. £24.50 down from £29.95.

Unsurprisingly, the 2018 CVNE Viña Real Gran Reserva Selección Especial (6) was everyone’s favourite. ‘This is what Rioja is all about!’ exclaimed Mrs R., beaming. Felicity just sighed happily and gulped noisily. A 95 per cent Tempranillo/5 per cent Graciano blend from the finest plots, aged for two years in barrel and three in bottle, it’s soft, smooth and mellow with sweet, ripe plums and prunes, leather, tobacco and the gentlest of tannins. Its ‘Especial’ moniker is only ever accorded in the finest of vintages, of which this is clearly one. £29 down from £31.95.

The mixed case contains two bottles of each wine and delivery, as ever, is free.

Order online today or download an order form.