Smallest vintage in 10 years. Variable quality. Keep to top names.
Drink or Hold
87
2001
Excellent year for long aging Reservas and Gran Reservas
Hold
94
2000
A generally good vintage with fine Reservas
Hold
89
1999
Smaller vintage of good quality
Drink or Hold
88
1998
Good vintage
Drink or Hold
97
1997
Unexciting so far, but quaffable
Drink or Hold
84
1996
Good year, plenty of aging potential
Hold
89
1995
Very good vintage, Reservas no showing excellent fruit
Hold
92
1994
Outstanding, some great long-aging wines
Drink or Hold
94
1993
Lesser wines, apart from best-known names
Drink
77
1992
Rather light vintage
Drink
80
1991
Still improving, average quality
Drink or Hold
85
1990
Fairly ordinary but quaffable
Drink
84
1989
Good, firm structure
Drink
88
NB: Most Rioja comes in 3 basic styles:-
CRIANZA: Ready for drinking at an early stage but must be not less than 2 years old.
RESERVA: Wines that have been aged in American oak for a minimum of one year and in bottle for 2 years. In
practice a large number of houses age their wines in oak for 2 years. Many Reservas are ideal for drinking when 5-7 years of age, but in the best vintages will improve.
GRAN RESERVA: Wines that have been aged in American oak for a minimum of 2 years and in bottle for 3 years before
release. Gran Reservas are often delicious from 7-12 years but some will age for 20 years or more.
Since Rioja Reservas and Gran Reservas age so well, we have included a vintage chart of the previous decade, ie, the eighties.
Last updated January 2006
Rioja Reserva & Gran Reserva Vintages of the Eighties
Last updated on April 30, 2008