Rioja Vitola Reserva

Miguel Merino
Spain
Rioja
2020

Vitola Reserva comes from vines planted in the 1970s, in slopes facing northwest. Soils are very poor, far from the Ebro river, and very rocky.  The wine is made of 96% Tempranillo with 4% Graciano (for acidity.) It ages for two years in French oak (30% new), and the rest in bottle, before release.


 

93 points
"Vitola uses grapes from cooler, north-facing vineyards planted in the 1970s in Briones and is a well-priced introduction to the Miguel Merino style. Stylishly wooded in 25% new wood, it's an elegant, graceful, almost ethereal blend of Tempranillo and 5% Graciano with floral top notes and tangy raspberry and red cherry fruit. 2025-30"
Tim Atkin,
Special Rioja Report 2025
92 points
"The 2020 Vitola Reserva comes through as oakier than the rest of the range. He changed the source to cooler vineyards, and this is the third vintage like that, mostly Tempranillo with 5% Graciano, fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in French oak barrels, 25% of them new, for 22 months. The élevage seems to have marked the wine with notes of smoke, sweet spices and toasted sesame seeds. It has 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.6 and 5.6 grams of acidity. The palate is medium to full-bodied and the tannins are fine and quite polished. 8,216 bottles produced. It's been in bottle since August 2022. Will it integrate the oak with more time? That's the question..."
Luis Gutiérrez,
Wine Advocate

SKU/Code: 
DB4836-20
Product Line: 
Wine
Red
Varietal: 
Tempranillo