2014 Vina Otano Rioja Reserva

In Spain, there a lot of producers scattered throughout the country’s many varying wine regions, but there aren’t many wineries producing wines like this Rioja Reserva—until we discovered it, this perfectly-aging Tempranillo was resting at the Bodega, in mint condition and untouched since bottling. It will knock your socks off both feet. One foot for price and one for complexity. 

After producing wine for 103 years, the historic Viña Otano Bodega embarked on a massive project to build a modern new winery with extensive cold storage. Owners the Montaña family, who founded their winery in 1886, are well aware of the aging potential of their wine and reasoned that in a rapidly changing world where wine is being consumed quite young, they could simply hold it at the winery until it was ready for drinking. 

The 2014 Vina Otano Rioja Reserva is exactly that: a traditional Rioja bottling, Bodega-cellared, and at six years old in the prime of its life—ready for your corkscrew. Full-bodied, with a core of silken wildberry fruit, just-turned earth, whispers of wood smoke, cigar box, newly crushed cocoa nibs, and an enticing creamy cedary finish, with just a hint of tobacco leaf, this calls for your best cassoulet, seared duck breast, or juicy burger.

As for the hands that crafted this Tempranillo-heavy jewel, winemaker Isaac Fernandez has assuredly picked up a trick or two from his uncle, Mariano Garcia, arguably Spain’s greatest winemaker who has produced some 30 vintages of Vega Sicilia—Spain’s greatest wine. Issac has worked hand-in-hand for 25 years with his uncle Mariano at Mauro, their family bodega.

The Otano Reserva combines Vega Sicilia-know-how with Tempranillo, Graciano, and Mazuelo grapes that were cultivated on vines ranging from three decades to nearly a century old and are sustainably farmed in Fuenmayor La Rioja, a sub-zone of Rioja Alta. Older vines produce less fruit, which is generally more concentrated, so extra care is required to harvest them and to properly manage the thicker skin tannin that has developed over decades. 

That means hand-harvesting into small bins, carefully pressing into French and American oak barrels and aging for 18 months before bottle-aging for another two and half years prior to its release—practically on its way to Gran Reserva-level treatment. And the result is a complex Tempranillo with old-vine concentration and structure, supported by perfectly ripe and pure flavors courtesy of expert treatment. This is one of the finest aged Riojas we’ve encountered in some time. Drink up!

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 14.00%
• 30 mins
• Now – 2026
• 85% Tempranillo10% Graciano5% Mazuelo
• Serving temperature – 58°
• Cork