"A little bit thin and underpowered although smooth enough"

"Our favourite weekday white wine. A treasure for its price"

I would recommend this wine

"Not as bold as I expected but the fruits coming through are pleasant, almost a floral hint coming through mainly white stone fruits primary. Not very complex, leaves the oak on the finish. Worth a try if you fancy it. "

"Recommended by a fellow society member and a regular favourite since."

I would recommend this wine

"Very disappointing. It was thin, acidic and nothing like other white rioja I have tried. Nothing like the quality of other Wine Society wines."

"I haven't sampled many white Rioja's, so have little to compare. However, based on likeability I would say this is a gentle, fresh white wine that is pleasant to drink with or without food. To me it has a nice soft end, with a pleasant autumn nuttiness . I like the delicate oak nuance as it's not too over powering but still there. It isn't a wine that lingers and it doesn't have any strong tropical fruity tones. Just a nice, easy drinking, well priced white that would probably appeal to many easy going white wine drinkers! Although this would not be on my dinner party list, it would make it onto my Wine Wednesday list! "

"An excellent wine - soft peachy oaky undertones. Great with cold meats and prawn cocktail. Highly drinkable, might have to open another bottle!"

I would recommend this wine

"Pleasant rather than outstanding. For me the oak actually detracts and clouds the fruitiness of the wine. Very round compared with other white Rioja I have tasted. I don't think I would re-order this wine."

"While I might argue with the "deep gold colour" (it seems much lighter than that to me), there is absolutely nothing else I'd quibble with. Lovely wine with good flavours and length. I've just had this to accompany seafood risotto and it matched perfectly (and was a great support while I was cooking it). If it's this good in December, I expect it will be even better on a hot summer's day. Will definitely order again."

I would recommend this wine

"This was a bit too dry for my palate! "

"This a delectable white Rioja. It's exactly what you'd want from a society bottle: the cost to quality ratio is pointing in just the right direction. It's got lovely nutty, oaky aromas and drinks very cleanly. I think it's a little more oaky than 'light' but that's no problem for me and it's by no means overbearing. At £8.95 it's a very reasonable price and I'd be happy to give it 4.5 / 5. Will be ordering more (both for drinking on its own and with food pairings). "

I would recommend this wine

"Not what I was expecting. Advertised as "deep gold in colour". Not the bottle I tried. Pale and insipid. I agree with what other members have said who did not like this wine. Would not buy again"

"Dry, fruity and cheerful, a feelgood wine that feels even better when you consider the price. Cracking value!"

I would recommend this wine

"A bit boring and too oakey for my taste"

"Golden colour in the glass, there's not much on the nose so it has a light intensity with aromas of citrus and light oak. The palate is more medium with flavours of citrus, honey, butter and vanilla. It reminds me of an oaked Chardonnay. Acidity is low with a medium(-) finish. The white Rioja I tried before had put me off trying again. This hasn't. "

I would recommend this wine

"Bright but with a nutty, creamy core. The oak sits in the mix beautifully. Yes, there's hardly any fruitiness, but it's white Rioja, what do you expect?!"

"I really enjoyed this, dryish, light wine, great to accompany a pork dish I had, and very easy drinking. "

I would recommend this wine

"Found this to be really bland "

"Too sharp and fruity for me. I expected it to be lighter. "

"Good value for money would buy again "

"Very average and quite Sharp. Wouldn't buy again"

"Seeking an alternative to SB or Chardonnay under £10 for easy summer drinking? Look no further. This wine is a delight and great value . Don't over chill. "

"Too simple, get bored before reached half bottle. Overall it is a good wine, but if you have something to compare you will conclude that this is quite average."

"Very sharp. I have had much better white Rioja's than this one which was very sharp however add some cassis and at least you won't have to cook with it. "

"Aromas of peach and apricot right when I opened it, which I wasn’t expecting, which quickly gave way to vanilla, hazelnuts and toasty oak - with a nice strong vein of almost grapefruity acidity running through it. This was my first white Rioja ever so I have no way of comparing it with others, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would certainly have it again."

I would recommend this wine

"Really enjoyed this, lovely rich flavour and great value Well done Wine Society"

I would recommend this wine

"Oh yes . . . this stuff is bottled nectar. Certainly one to get again (and again!)."

I would recommend this wine

"Pleasant and subtle flavour but it's not particularly memorable."

I would recommend this wine

"A great success at a 'tasting menu' supper : this was served with lightly cured salmon (not smoked) and went very well with many of the other offerings on the table too. Favourable comments mean I shall certainly order more. It was NOT, however in the rather oaky style of old fashioned white Rioja of which I had been expecting a broad hint! The oak mentioned in the Society's notes is much more well integrated and subtle. A good wine."

I would recommend this wine

"Pleasant but undistinguished. Needs to be just a little more 'spicy, oxidative and nutty' to warrant a re-purchase. Not sure on a blind tasting that I could have identified this as rioja."

"A very enjoyable drink. There is a pleasant hint of musty straw on the nose, following into a slight nuttiness with an earthy background taste, and yet a clean and refreshing finish. An excellent accompaniment to a home-made 'exotic mushroom' risotto."

I would recommend this wine

"It's not premium white rioja, it was never meant to be that though. What it is, is the foundation on what others build on, a very drinkable white Rioja. This nutty and floral white Rioja is sure to please. "

I would recommend this wine

"See review from Mr James Brown, it says all that needs saying."

I would recommend this wine

"Not the style of white Rioja I've drunk in the past. Oak in this is discreet but so is everything else! Perfectly drinkable but not exciting."

"Nice, very drinkable - great value"

I would recommend this wine

"For the money this is one of the best white Riojas I've had in a long time. Dry fruity with considerable body and a touch of integrated oak. It's quite delicious. "

I would recommend this wine

The Spectator 26th Jul 2019

"Wines of the week: A perfect summer wine this and corking good value to boot. Made by Bodega Classica in Rioja Alta overseen by The Wine Society’s head buyer, Pierre Mansour, it’s a blend of viura (mainly) and malvasia (a touch) and commendably approachable. Although fresh and easy-going, gentle oak-ageing of part of the blend has added texture and colour and the result is a wine of quite some style. - Jonathan Ray"

2017 VINTAGE - MEMBER REVIEWS

"This wine clearly divides opinion. I'm with the sizeable minority that isn't keen. There's nothing really wrong with the wine, but it really isn't my idea of what white Rioja should taste like. "

Mr Steven Bliss (26-Jan-2019)

"This was a new experience for us being more familiar with aromatic Portuguese whites and the ubiquitous New World Sauvignons. Thoroughly enjoyed the aromatic “herby” overtones of this White (with spiced loch trout and garlicky veg) and will definitely buy again"

Mr Ian P Lucas (18-Jan-2019)

"Thoughly enjoyed this white Rioja and will be purchasing more.........."

Mr Kevin Scott-Cowell (15-Jan-2019)

"Regrettably this Rioja doesn’t merit a star. Not a disappointment just thoroughly unpleasant. Had I been told thes bottles of a mixed case had been left out in the sun or on a radiator for a week I wouldn’t have been surprised. Its golden colour aroused a suspicion which was heightened by the lack of nose. Unbalanced because fruit is in short supply. The label’s tasting notes suggests nutty complexity- I don’t think so. Mercifully little length. After trying a second bottle I consigned it to the ‘cooks nips."

Dr Richard F Barrett (15-Dec-2018)

"this wine had nothing to do with a white Rioja and it was not a good wine either. Probably worth to get a new producer!"

Mr Thierry Levenq (06-Dec-2018)

"My first return to white Rioja in many years. I absolutely loved it. Really enjoyed the dryness and nut flavours. Wonderful - will be buying more"

Mr Stuart Crowther (03-Dec-2018)

"A fabulous addition to the The Society's Rioja range - perfectly expresses the modern approach to white Rioja with the leaner and age -worthy Viura grape softened by a little fruity Malvasia and some of the blend matured in classy French oak to give a concentrated, flavoursome and textural white with lovely freshness and impressive length. The oak rounds out the wine as well as adding a spiciness to it - but is much less evident here than in the traditional more oxidative style of oaked white Rioja. It was delicious on day 1 - the next day even better. "

Mrs Pippa Hayward (19-Nov-2018)

"For many years I have enjoyed all styles of these type of wines. I found this to be an excellent example of subtle oak aging and zesty crisp yet aromatic fruit. I thought it a more subtle example than the very lovely Navajas . In addition I felt whilst not in the same class as Gravonia or Tondonia ,it did share some lovely similarities at a brilliant price. "

Mr Alan Pendlebury (11-Nov-2018)

"What a disappointment. Lacking everything that a decent Rioja should possess....little depth, nose or flavour, totally unmemorable and quite untypical of the Society's own usually good label wines. I am a long experienced drinker and afficionada of both red and white Riojas and have a vast stock of both but the remaining bottles of this are destined to be returned. I pen these notes with a degree of sadness since I rate the Wine Society products very highly but this one was very poor and merits only one star. "

Mr David A Murdoch (26-Oct-2018)

"The white Rioja I’m most familiar with is the Navajaz Crianza from the list. From time to time, I’ve lamented that it seems a touch over-oaked. That wasn’t a problem here. There was clearly a slightly nutty note from the oak but I thought this was actually quite zingy - maybe a touch of petillance even. Worth a try for those interested in Spanish whites, but I can’t say this one moved me very much."

Mr David Halliwell (03-Oct-2018)

2017 VINTAGE - PRESS REVIEWS

Daily Record (10th Nov 2018)

"I am lukewarm about wines from the viura grape after enduring some pretty poor examples of white Rioja. However, winemakers there have fought hard to create tasty wines from the variety and several are succeeding well. This is one such success with a smooth pithy grapefruit central core, good acidity, impressive peach embellished viscosity and, best of all, a savoury, mineral background containing hints of hazelnut and tarragon. - Brian Elliott"

The Observer (4th Nov 2018)

"Rioja rivals Bordeaux as Europe’s most famous wine region. The two in fact have a long tradition of collaboration: the Spanish region came to prominence in the late 19th century when Bordeaux winemakers, their own vineyards devastated by the wine plague, phylloxera, brought their techniques south of the Pyrenees. Today, both regions are all but synonymous with red wines, with Rioja’s still associated with the soft vanilla-and-coconut flavours of long ageing in American oak barrels. That oaky recipe is also used in the best of Rioja’s whites, which, like Bordeaux’s, are much less well known, much smaller in number, and, at a time when zingy unoaked sauvignon blanc is king, somewhat out of step with popular taste. Paired with creamy pasta, mushrooms or richer seafood such as scallops, however, the style’s savoury creaminess, nicely represented by The Wine Society’s good value example, comes into its own. - David Williams"

Yorkshire Post (3rd Nov 2018)

"A light citrus-charged Rioja with a creamy mid-palate and a nutty toasty finish. Team this with gazpacho, grilled herby fish or a fishy paella. - Christine Austin"

Log in to view notes