Viña del Cura Rioja Gran Reserva

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9 November 2026

I first came across this wine at the Tesco Autumn Winter Press Tasting and was determined to give it a more thorough try. I’m very glad I did.

This is the 2018 vintage, a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, with an ABV of 14%. Made by Barón de Ley, it is bottled in Rioja rather than the UK, as required by the Rioja DOCa regulations. It spends 24 months maturing in a combination of American and French oak barriques, followed by a further three years ageing in bottle.

It’s excellent straight from opening. The colour is dark, with no signs of browning just yet. The aromas are intense, bursting with dried red fruits, leather, tobacco, plenty of wood and sweet spice. In the mouth, it’s all about red fruit and layers of tertiary complexity. Dry, with a medium body and medium tannins, it delivers a long, elegant and slightly savoury finish, full of woody character and a lovely warming quality. At the tasting, I thought the tannins were a little more pronounced than average, but trying it again this time, I didn’t find that to be the case.

It’s already picked up an IWC gold medal and an IWSC silver. For this re-visit, I found this is very much a second or third-day wine. As good as it is on opening, leave it alone for a day or two and it just keeps getting better. I’d go as far as saying this is the best ‘affordable’ Rioja around at the moment. Also, it doesn’t just hold its own against more expensive bottles, it comfortably beats plenty of them.

This wine is £15.50 at Tesco. The only problem is that it’s so good it recently sold out, meaning I couldn’t get my hands on any when the 25% off Mix 6 offer came around. Even at the full £15.50, this is a wine that delivers far more than its price suggests.

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TipS – Infographics

Did You Know?

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