Marques De Riscal

Specialist in old vines from Rioja

Marqués de Riscal – founded in the mid-19th century by Guillermo Hurtado de Amézaga – is today unequivocally one of the titans of Spanish wine. This is reflected in not only its respect of the country’s winemaking heritage, but also for its persistent eye on the future and pioneering attitude to architecture, as represented by its Frank Gehry-designed City of Wine complex; reminiscent as it is of rolling rivers and tumbling waves. Riscal can certainly never be accused of resting on its laurels.

‘Really old vines are our main focus as we feel such vines give the resulting wines more depth and flavour,’ says winemaking director Francisco Hurtado de Amézaga. Director general José Luis Muguiro adds: ‘Bodega de los Herederos del Marqués de Riscal has more than 410ha of vines that are over 60 years old, making it Rioja’s largest collection of old vines. Many of these vineyards are actually even older: Los Campos, Río Seco Huerta and Los Campos Fondo were all planted in 1910 and Verdecillo was planted in 1913.’

Its heartland is, of course, Rioja and it has long been a standard-bearer for this famous region. The crianzas, reservas and gran reservas are absolutely textbook and brilliant examples of their type, but it’s with its top cuvées that Riscal takes things to another level.