All the medallists from the Rioja Masters 2024

Rioja’s continued success in our Masters series can be attributed to a winning mix of quality, diversity – and sheer value for money. Patrick Schmitt MW reports.

IT SAYS much for the quality of Rioja that this single, if large, wine region should feature such a high proportion of Gold and Master medals this year.

Indeed, relative to other competitions in our Global Wine Masters series, Rioja is a beacon of brilliance when it comes to high-scoring samples, and across the board, rivalled in such impressive results by few, save for Champagne.

But, while the French sparkling wine region has become the source of increasingly expensive bottles, Rioja has remained affordable. And that is one key reason for its sustained success: Rioja’s price-quality relationship is hard to beat.

But it’s not the only reason. As proved by our Masters tasting this year, like previous competitions, Rioja is much loved for the styles of wine it yields. It is one of those rare corners of the wine world where the fruit is fully ripe, but the mouthfeel is neither heavy nor flabby. The combination of fresh acidities and firm tannins give Rioja wines a lively and dry sensation, even if the red berry flavours are sweet. In other words, there is an appealing balance in Rioja. There’s complexity too – a result of old vines, blending across sites, a mix of varieties and the influence of oak, lending Rioja its trademark taste of vanilla, and grippy texture on the finish.

Such traits are fairly consistent with Rioja, so it’s become a trusted source of wines, and at a range of prices. That brings me onto another cause of its popularity: its tiering. With the wines classified from joven to crianza and reserva to gran reserva, consumers have a clear idea of what to expect, as well as an incentive to trade up. The only area of confusion can be the jump from reserva to gran reserva, with the latter type of Rioja often packing less punch than the level beneath, a result of the extended ageing in barrique that’s need to carry the title of gran reserva – an oxidative process that diminishes the flesh and primary flavours of young fruit.

However, that need not mean a step down in quality or appeal, with gran reserva an almost unique style of wine, renowned for its mouthwatering complexity and delicious maturity on release, as well as its ability to age for decades after bottling.

Meanwhile, if you do eschew oak when making Rioja, as can be the case for joven examples, then you can still yield a really enjoyable fruity red, based on the easy appeal of the Tempranillo grape, along with the juiciness of Garnacha and, where used, the structural support of Graciano. Finally, there’s a further explanation for Rioja’s sustained popularity: it’s innovative and, as a result, it’s exciting and diverse. Many of the more ambitious styles can be found in the vinos de autor category, where winemakers tend to experiment, making this the sector of rulebreaking Riojas, often with outstanding results. Similar to Italy’s Super Tuscans, vinos de autor Riojas tend to be more deeply coloured and concentrated than their more traditional, classified relations, but still exhibit the tannin-acid character of the Spanish region.

Of particular interest in this year ’s competition is the segment of white Rioja. Here, it seems, change has been greatest, with modern styles and newly authorised white varieties – such as Tempranillo Blanco – reinvigorating a category that had fallen out of fashion. As a result, if I were to name one of the most thrilling sources of fine white wine in the world right now, Rioja would feature – a surprising development if one considers that this region’s fame is so strongly built around its reds.

Sparkling White Reserva

White Genérico

White Joven

White Crianza

White Reserva

White Gran Reserva

White Vinos de Autor

Rosé Joven

Red Genérico

Red Joven

Red Organic

Red Joven/ Reserva Blend

Red Crianza

Red Reserva

Red Reserva (continued)

Red Gran Reserva

Red Vino de Autor

Mature red Rioja 15 years and older