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The Wine Society's Generation Series Rioja 2020

3.846153700 star rating 26 Reviews
A limited release for our 150th is this fruity, plummy and smooth Rioja which is mostly garnacha, the grape most commonly used in Rioja in the 19th century. This has been aged for several years before bottling in 2023, including 10 months in French oak. For a video message from the winemaker, and for more on the story of this wine, please scroll down.
Price: £12.50 Bottle
Price: £150.00 Case of 12
In Stock
Code: SP19771

Wine characteristics

  • Red Wine
  • Full-bodied
  • Grenache/Garnacha
  • 75cl
  • Now to 2026
  • 13.5% Alcohol
  • oak used but not v. noticeable
  • Cork, diam
  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan

Generation Series Rioja 2020

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More on the wine

Our Generation Series Rioja has been crafted to reflect the way Rioja was made during the first half century of The Wine Society's history. This pre-dated what are now common terms to describe the ageing of Rioja- such as crianza and reserva. The wines were labelled according to how many years ageing which is why our 150th includes the words 'tercer año', meaning third year.  

It also includes a high proportion of garnacha alongside tempranillo, the former taking a more leading role during this period. We worked with Bodegas Hacienda Lopez de Haro who are a relatively new producer – since 2006 – but one with generations of experience in the region's vineyards and only recently, under the energetic leadership of Ricardo Arambarri, started making their own wines. 

Pierre Mansour, Director of Wine and Buyer for Spain.

 

Behind the scenes in Rioja - read more about how this wine came into being.

Bodega Classica

Bodega Classica is an imposing winery atop a hill in the village of Sonsierra in the sub region of Rioja Alta amid the foothills of the Toloña Mountains, a part of the great Sierra de Cantabria range that does so much to protect the Rioja region from the less desirable Atlantic influences from the north.

At this positively shiny modern facility, built in 2006, all the grapes harvested from their surrounding 70 hectares of vineyards are gravity fed into vats and presses without the need to use intrusive pumps. Even the winery’s situation atop a hill is all part of the plan as it allows for air circulation to play a natural role in the temperature control of the complex and the cellars that are built into the hill below, again for the ease of temperature control that this naturally affords. It is attention to detail in such matters that amply illustrates the desire of Bodega Classica to produce high-quality wines.

Ricardo Arambarri manages the estate under the umbrella of a larger group called Vintae, established by his father, Riojan businessman and wine-lover José Miguel Arambarri Terrero, which operates winemaking projects in six other Spanish regions. They chose the area of Sonsierra for this particular project because they believe that the poor but well drained limestone-clay soils at 500-600 metres altitude up in the foothills provide a perfect terroir for old vine tempranillo, grown on bush-vines and hand-harvested at low yields.

The winemaking is in the classic Rioja...
Bodega Classica is an imposing winery atop a hill in the village of Sonsierra in the sub region of Rioja Alta amid the foothills of the Toloña Mountains, a part of the great Sierra de Cantabria range that does so much to protect the Rioja region from the less desirable Atlantic influences from the north.

At this positively shiny modern facility, built in 2006, all the grapes harvested from their surrounding 70 hectares of vineyards are gravity fed into vats and presses without the need to use intrusive pumps. Even the winery’s situation atop a hill is all part of the plan as it allows for air circulation to play a natural role in the temperature control of the complex and the cellars that are built into the hill below, again for the ease of temperature control that this naturally affords. It is attention to detail in such matters that amply illustrates the desire of Bodega Classica to produce high-quality wines.

Ricardo Arambarri manages the estate under the umbrella of a larger group called Vintae, established by his father, Riojan businessman and wine-lover José Miguel Arambarri Terrero, which operates winemaking projects in six other Spanish regions. They chose the area of Sonsierra for this particular project because they believe that the poor but well drained limestone-clay soils at 500-600 metres altitude up in the foothills provide a perfect terroir for old vine tempranillo, grown on bush-vines and hand-harvested at low yields.

The winemaking is in the classic Rioja style culminating in time in French and American oak with the length of its stay dependant on the status of the wine, eg reserva or gran reserva. The reserva, in which the tempranillo is ably supported by graciano, sees 20 months in barrels before a further two in bottle before release. Bodega Classica release their wines under a variety of labels including Lopez de Haro and Dominum.
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Decanter

Before Tempranillo reigned supreme, Garnacha played a central role in Rioja, a protagonism the variety is slowly reclaiming by producers that recognise its potential for freshness and terroir...
Before Tempranillo reigned supreme, Garnacha played a central role in Rioja, a protagonism the variety is slowly reclaiming by producers that recognise its potential for freshness and terroir expressiveness in the region. Among them is López de Haro with whom The Wine Society worked to produce this very interesting example of what its early Rioja listings might have tasted like. What customers get is, however, a window to the region’s future; a filigreed tannic structure and defined red fruit make for an intriguing and pleasurable wine, with a firm grip and spicy vibrancy. A touch of dark chocolate and garrigue add savoury interest to the finish.
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