Buyers Guide to Vintages March 7th Release
John Szabo’s Vintages Review March 7, 2026: There’s No Such Thing as Rioja and Women in Wine
By John Szabo MS, with notes from David Lawrason, Sara d’Amato, and Megha Jandhyala
There’s no such thing as Rioja. Spain’s oldest and most recognized denomination of origin has evolved well beyond what we think we know about Rioja wine. Today, the DOCa Rioja name alone, without qualification, tells you almost nothing except geographical provenance, somewhere in sprawling Ebro River Valley corralled by mountains to the north and south where more than 66,000 hectares of vineyards are planted with a wealth of old vines. The point was made, ironically enough, at the recent closing of the Centennial Celebrations of DOCa Rioja, established in 1925. But a look at the past is also a window on the future of this dynamic region. If you think you know Rioja, read on to learn about some of the transformations taking place, and perhaps more importantly, for a long list of recommended wines and producers, many of which will challenge your understanding of what tradition and modernity really mean.
Davalillo Castle, Rioja ©Kiko Ausejo – Estudio Lima
Women in Wine Special mention: Aslina, South Africa
By David Lawrason
Ntsiki Byela at Loop Line (credit: David Lawrason)
The first black woman to become a winemaker in South Africa recently paid her first visit to Canada on a particularly frigid Toronto day. Ntsiki Byela was shocked by the cold — but she eventually told her story and presented her excellent Aslina wines at the Loop Line bottle shop. She studied winemaking at Stellenbosch University, with no previous wine contact and unable to speak Afrikaans. After graduation in 2004 she landed a job at Stellekaya. Then, in 2016, she started her own Aslina label (named for her grandmother) by renting space at Delheim. Her excellent portfolio of chardonnay, chenin blanc, cabernet sauvignon and a blend are available at Loop Line; prices range between $35 and $50.
There’s No Such Thing as Rioja
“When you say ‘Rioja’ alone, you say nothing,” said Spanish Master of Wine Pedro Ballesteros in a provocative opening salvo. Ballesteros was leading a tasting in Logroño to close the Centennial Celebrations of DOCa Rioja. Spain’s first and most famous denomination of origin, and the consejo regulador that governs it, turned 100 last year (it was established in 1925).
Castilla Land of Castles on the Ebro River ©John Szabo
“There’s no such thing as Rioja without additional adjectives,” he said.
The point that Rioja alone conveys little to a wine drinker, other than geographic provenance, was neatly underscored by Ballesteros and his co-curators through a dozen wines that included wines red, white, rosé, blended, single variety, single vineyard, modern, young and fruity and traditional, old and leathery…all labelled as DOCa Rioja. Additional qualifiers are essential to convey what is in the bottle. It’s an interesting position for an appellation of origin to take, but Rioja DOCa is leaning into its new tag line — “100 Kilometers of Diversity” — with gusto.
Most seasoned wine drinkers will be familiar with traditional-style Rioja, first and foremost a red wine, produced mainly from tempranillo sourced from several rub-regions for consistency, and aged for an extended period in American oak barrels. It is relatively pale garnet red in colour and redolent of oak-derived sandalwood and cedar, leather and spice, shaved coconut and dried red fruit in a burnished oxidative fashion, with tannins already silky at bottling thanks to long ageing in the oxygen-rich environment that porous oak provides.
They can be wonderful wines. Sommeliers love them, if at least partly for the ease with which they can be identified on blind tasting exams. And marketers, too, loved the ease with which Rioja from last century (the 20th century), could be described.
“Back then, you could explain Rioja in less than 30 seconds,” muses Javier Arizcuren, an architect-cum-winemaker whose first commercial vintage was in 2015. “It was tempranillo, in four types, from Jóven, Crianza, Reserva to Gran Reserva. That was it. Simple. And it worked.” But the reality on the ground has changed radically. Arizcuren himself doesn’t bother with the traditional ageing categories, preferring to focus on origin rather than how long a wine rests in a barrel. He’s part of a growing number of terroir-obsessed winegrowers in what has become one of Spain’s most dynamic denominations.
It’s worth noting that the origins of this “traditional” style are in fact quite recent, dating to only about 150 years ago or so, and this in a region where wine has been produced for at least 2,000 years. Such perspective puts this notion of what is “traditional” in some jeopardy.
Historic Bodega of R. López de Heredia, Haro ©John Szabo
It was in the second half of the 19th century when a “new wave” of maverick producers, schooled in Bordeaux methods, or at least inspired by them, established their wineries. Marqués de Murrieta, Marqués de Riscal, R. López de Heredia, La Rioja Alta, La Compañia Vinícola del Norte de España (C.V.N.E.), and Martinez Lacuesta all opened their doors prior to the turn of the 20th century (and Bodegas Bilbaínas in 1901). And the “Vinos Finos de Rioja” they produced all followed a similar production philosophy, of which the main innovation at the time was that the wines were especially stable and transportable, like Bordeaux. This in turn enabled them to conquer international markets via the port of Bilboa, connected to the region since the train station in Haro opened in 1863. Trade flourished. And a century later, in 1980, the philosophy was enshrined into law with the official establishment of the ageing categories, from Jóven (now “Genérico”), to Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, each requiring increased time in barrel and bottle before release.
Yet prior to the creation of these new, long-aged wines, much of the wine produced in the Ebro River Valley, and its tributary, the Rio Oja, which lends its name to the province of La Rioja and also the wine region, was what was referred to locally as “vino de cosechero.” This “harvester’s wine” was a young, fruity red (or rosado, a.k.a. clarete, if made from a field blend of red and white varieties fermented together). These were made with carbonic maceration, using uncrushed, whole bunches of grapes, in similar fashion to Beaujolais Nouveau, in small family “wineries” with minimal equipment. It was sold locally in bulk to consume within the year (or drank by the family). This wine was not made to travel.
Reflecting Old and New Realities
In this light, Rioja DOCa is shrewed to explore and embrace the full richness of the region’s history, its wine styles, and native varieties, not to mention the stunning physical diversity of the area that spans roughly 100 kilometers from east to west. Vineyards stretch from the gravelly banks of the Ebro River to the limestone heights of the Sierra Cantabria and Sierra de la Demanda at up to 800 metres, and the Winkler Index of classifying climate ranges from as low as 900 growing degree days, fewer than Champagne, up to 2900, the equivalent of Fresno, California, or Jerez in Spain. DOCa Rioja is, in reality, a patchwork of dozens of smaller sub-appellations, that are only now coming into clearer focus.
“It is not just about looking back with pride but thinking about what brought us here to create our future. Today we close a chapter but open a new one,” said Raquel Peréz Cueva, president-chair of the control board (Consejo Regulador), in a presentation at the Centennnial.
“Rioja’s legacy has been deep in consistency,” Pérez Cueva continued, “but it only lasts if it continues to evolve. Rioja is a region in motion, a region that anticipates and connects with new market realities. Falling behind is more dangerous than evolving; adaptation is not optional.”
And since the turn of this century, changes have been sweeping across Rioja, driven by yet another new wave of producers adapting to market realities and finding new voices for Rioja wine. These more “modern” wines are very often from specific sub-regions or vineyards rather than cross-regional blends, and are aged for shorter periods, more frequently in French rather than American oak, or in neutral vessels such as concrete or clay. They are much fresher and fruitier, sometimes riper and denser, and more deeply coloured. They are also far more unique and individual.
Old vines with snow covered Sierra de la Demanda ©John Szabo
To reflect this new reality, the Rioja consejo regulador introduced a new, parallel system of classification in 2017 based on origin rather than length of ageing.
Vino de Zona, Vino de Pueblo and Viñedo Singular represent wines in increasing order of specificity, from a defined but fairly large area such as Rioja Alavesa or Rioja Alta, through to wines from vineyards within a single village, and down to bottlings from registered single vineyards. The classifications also come with increasingly restrictive production regulations regarding minimum vine age and yield, for example, putting Viñedo Singular at the top of the quality pyramid, the Riojano equivalent of a Burgundy Grand Cru. There are currently 133 registered Viñedos Singulares, whose vines, by definition, must be at least 35 years old.
These origin classifications can be coupled with the ageing categories, i.e. “Vino de Pueblo Reserva,” a situation which admittedly adds layers of complication for consumers. It’s not a perfect system, but consider it a work in progress, and it is surely a better reflection of the reality on the ground, a formal recognition of the inherent natural diversity in the region.
Vinos de Cosecheros are also making a comeback, as are “claret” wines, the field blends of red and white varieties that were once the norm. And white wines, too, have become a focus over the last 20 years, especially with the expansion of the list of permitted varieties in 2007. Though still accounting for less than 10 percent of production, several producers I spoke to have planted, or are planning to plant, new white variety vineyards.
“We’re in a beautiful time,” said Arizcuren. “Looking at how to walk in the future. You talk with other winemakers, you make mistakes, you discover things, we learn every day.”
From such wildly different sub-regions, soils and elevations, increasing varietal diversity and evolving producer philosophies, the assortment of Rioja is now more diverse than ever. And the word Rioja alone has never been so meaningless, a happy thing for wine lovers.
See over 100 new reviews of Rioja’s top wines: “John’s Rioja Centennial 2026.”
Some producers to seek out:
Arizcuren, Artuke, Bideona, Contino (part of C.V.N.E.) Cuentaviñas, Dominio de Queirón, Gómez Cruzado, Juan Carlos Sancha, López de Heredia, Marqués de Murrieta, Marqués de Riscal, Palacios Remondo, Paco García, Pujanza, Ostatu, Oxer Bastegieta, Sierra de Toloño, Remírez de Ganuza, Remelluri, Roda, Santalba, Valcuerna, Vignerons de la Sonsierra.
Arturo de Migule of Artuke with John Szabo ©Kiko Ausejo – Estudio Lima
Buyer’s Guide Vintages March 7: White, Sparkling, Sake, Fortified
Les Hauts De Lagarde Blanc 2024, Bordeaux, France
$19.95, Rare Earth Wines
John Szabo – I’d be pouring this sharp-value white Bordeaux by the glass if I ran a wine bar.
Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc 2024, New Zealand
$19.95, Vinexx, Women in Wine Feature
Megha Jandhyala – Flavourful and gregarious, without being boisterous, this winsome sauvignon blanc should appeal broadly. It will make for a versatile addition to parties, as an aperitif or served with light vegetarian fare, including falafel or Lebanese lentil soup.
Mullineux Kloof Street Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2023, Swartland, South Africa
$21.95, Nicholas Pearce Wines Inc., Women in Wine Feature
John Szabo – A dark and stormy, swarthy old vine chenin from the formidable duo of Andrea and Chris Mullineux, always topping value lists, here the same, even if it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea with its scorching intensity. A wine to savour over the next 2 to 4 years.
David Lawrason – This is a bargain chenin by a famed estate in the warmer interior region of Swartland. The nose is packed with yellow pear, considerable barrel spice, dried yellow flowers and honey. It is full bodied, almost creamy and quite rich — yet even and smooth, with a leaner finish.
Megha Jandhyala – Made by husband-and-wife winemaking team, Chris and Andrea Mullineux, this chenin blanc combines poise with concentration and alluring textural richness.
Cave Spring Estate Grown Chardonnay 2024, Ontario, Canada
$24.95, Cave Spring Cellars
John Szabo – Top-notch, top-value, simply delicious, easy-drinking Escarpment chardonnay from Cave Spring, with the ease and immediate appeal of, for example, Mâconnais chardonnays. Round and creamy without tipping over into softness.
Sara d’Amato – Cave Spring doesn’t get quite enough airtime these days. Full disclosure: I used to work with them but, bias aside, they farm some remarkable old vines and have serious talent behind the scenes. While the stylistic consistency has wandered a bit in recent years, the raw material they’re working with remains excellent. This chardonnay shows that potential with clarity. It’s lively and light on its feet at just 12.5% alcohol, yet surprisingly expressive, with a hint of near-tropical fruit that keeps things playful. Cleanly made, with a subtle leesy note and gentle bâtonnage lending just enough weight to round out the palate.
Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay 2022, British Columbia, Canada
$27.95, Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits
John Szabo – Juicy, well-balanced, creamy and gentle but invigorating chardonnay with a real Okanagan imprint here, I have to say: that combination of ripe fruit, salt and stony flavours that feels like a glacial moraine across the palate.
Thirty Bench Small Lot Wood Post Vineyard Riesling 2021, Ontario, Canada
$28.95, Andrew Peller Limited
David Lawrason- Here’s a chance to grab an amazing National Wine Awards (2024) platinum-medal winning riesling at bargain price. It is intense, opulent and ripe with very lifted aromas of green pear, petrol, lemon-lime and avocado. It is light bodied, slim and streamlined, with great acidity balanced by some sweetness. Excellent to outstanding length.
Manzanilla La Gitana En Rama, Jerez, Spain
$34.95, Noble Estates Wines & Spirits Inc.
John Szabo – Outrageous En Rama Fino, gentle and creamy, but so intensely flavoured, an essence of flor with a little Worcestershire sauce for a strong umami component, I mean, this is like a salty bouillon broth, or like drinking briny sea water with a pickle back. And if you know what I’m talking about, you’ll want this.
Domaine De Congy Tradition Pouilly Fumé 2024, Loire, France
$37.95, Family Wine Merchants
Sara d’Amato – Bright and crisp, this is a classic, upright Pouilly, cleanly made, with its chest out and impeccable posture. The minerality is fine and silky, like a dusting of chalk, carrying notes of lemon zest, white grapefruit, and green apple, with a faint herbal lift. Everything feels aligned: poise, balance, and precision, as if the wine has found its own perfect equilibrium.
Dewazakura Omachi Junmai Ginjo Premium Sake, Yamagata, Japan
$38.95, Metropolitan Wines & Spirits
John Szabo – Evidently serious sake straight off the top, made from the heirloom omachi rice variety polished to 50% (and thus more of a daiginjo), with a sapidity and density of flavour that eludes most bottlings, never slipping into the banal. Classy and complete, long lasting, top notch.
Megha Jandhyala – This is a captivating sake, gently floral, with subtle, intricately integrated notes of orchard and tropical fruit, jasmine rice, and wet stones. Its delicate voluptuousness is equally beguiling.
Tesselaarsdal Chardonnay 2024, Walker Bay, South Africa
$49.95, Connexion Oenophilia, Women in Wine Feature
David Lawrason – Delighted to see the return of one of South Africa’s finest chardonnays by Berene Sauls, who is employed at Hamilton Russell, while making her own small lot label. What a lovely, fine delicate perfume with a weave of hazelnut, butterscotch, wood spice and ripe yellow apple fruit. It is medium bodied, very elegant, almost silky yet anchored by this terrific sense of minerality. All so even.
E. Guigal Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc 2023, Rhône, France
$82.95, Vinexx
Sara d’Amato – White Châteauneuf is a rare treat as only about 5% of the appellation’s production is white. This is a compelling, classic expression from a northerner, Guigal. The house has produced Châteauneuf since the 1960s as a négociant but didn’t own land in the southern Rhône until 2017, when it acquired Château Nalys. The fruit for this bottling comes from both long-time partner growers and Nalys’ vineyards. The result is a lush, yellow-fruited lightly caramel-tinged blend of grenache blanc, roussanne, clairette, bourboulenc, picpoul, and a touch of picardin that is satisfyingly plump, balanced by a vein of minerality and impressive length.
Buyer’s Guide Vintages March 7: Reds
Kir Yianni Cuvée Villages Xinomavro 2022, Macedonia, Greece
$21.95, The Kolonali Group Inc.
John Szabo – Although this was intended to be an earlier maturing version of xinomavro, you’ll be happily surprised by how well this will age and, indeed, how it needs more time in bottle to come into its own. Try after 2028 — this will be such a great wine for the money — or hold even late into the 2030s for an unexpected treat.
Sara d’Amato – This xinomavro greets the senses with a captivating aromatic flourish: dried herbs, perfumed violet, a hint of licorice, and juicy black currant. On the palate, youthful energy meets mineral clarity, wrapped in refined yet firm tannins that give the wine a remarkably precise structure. Though it’s described as the estate’s lighter, fruitier expression of xinomavro, that label barely hints at its energy and depth.
Yalumba Galway Vintage Shiraz 2023, South Australia
$19.95, Woodman Wines & Spirits, Women in Wine Feature
David Lawrason -This is my bargain red from this release, a nicely supple, with its engaging, complex nose of well-integrated chocolate, pepper, juniper, cranberry. It is not heavy, the tannins are quite soft, and the hint of sweetness plays well. Very good to excellent length.
Mullineux Kloof Street Red 2023, Swartland, South Africa
$24.95, Nicholas Pearce Wines Inc., Women in Wine Feature
Sara d’Amato – A luscious yet polished red blend from Mullineux. Cleanly made, with lively notes of licorice and violets, candied black cherry and black currant. White pepper spice and a compote of wild blueberries keep the palate thoroughly engaging. The tannins are supple, the acidity gently simmering on the back burner, and the whole composition feels remarkably well balanced. The blend is a bit unconventional: 33% shiraz, 31% grenache, 23% cinsault, with a 13% dash of tinta barroca, adding up to a deliciously distinctive wine.
Bindi Sergardi Chianti Classico Ser Gardo 2022, Tuscany, Italy
$29.95, Cru Wine Merchants, Women in Wine Feature
Megha Jandhyala – This is classic Chianti Classico, with an enthralling interplay of savoury herbs, stones and tilled earth, the pretty scent of violets, and perfectly ripe red fruit. Everything is in balance; everything is in its place!
Famille Perrin La Gille Gigondas 2022, Rhône, France
$32.95, Charton Hobbs
John Szabo – Well-balanced and composed southern Rhône red from the warm 2022 vintage, weathering the heat well and maintaining impressive succulence and finesse. Lovely stuff from the Perrin Family; drink or hold midterm.
David Lawrason – This is elegant, tidy yet generous Gigondas that effortlessly combines jammy aromas of strawberry-cherry red fruit, plentiful pepper, red rose and dried herbs. It is medium-full bodied, open-knit but tidy and well balanced with fine, sandy tannin. Ready to enjoy.
Sara d’Amato – Another gem from the southern Rhône, this Gigondas carries a delightful sense of levity. Bright and energetic, with moderate alcohol despite a hot vintage. Peppery yet curvaceous, the wine’s vibrant grenache-driven red fruit adds exuberance to the palate, while a subtle underlying brightness refreshes the palate.
Megha Jandhyala – A juxtaposition of grace and generosity, this is a characteristic expression of Gigondas. I love the soft warmth, fresh acidity, and profusion of flavour here, reflecting varietal character, tradition, and a sense of place.
Fanti Rosso Di Montalcino Doc 2023, Tuscany, Italy
$34.95, Le Sommelier Inc., Women in Wine Feature
David Lawrason – This is very nicely appointed sangiovese with lifted currant/strawberry fruit, rosemary, red rose, a touch of prosciutto and subtle barrel spice. Very complete and appealing aromatics. It is medium wight, nicely smooth, supple and almost rich but not heavy.
Tenuta Di Arceno Chianti Classico Riserva Docg 2020, Tuscany, Italy
$49.95, Icon Fine Wine and Spirits (Select Wine Merchants)
Megha Jandhyala – From the eastern wing of the butterfly-shaped commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga in the hills of Tuscany comes this sangiovese-led Chianti Classico. Silky and refined, layered with the perfume of flowers, fruit, and herbs of the land, it is in an ideal state of maturity.
Donatella Cinelli Colombini Orcia Cenerentola 2019, Tuscany, Italy
$70.95, Le Sommelier Inc., Women in Wine Feature
John Szabo – Cenerentola (Cinderella) is a two-thirds sangiovese, one-third foglia tonda, classically styled, savoury Tuscan red from the spectacular 2019 vintage. Balance is pitch-perfect and length is excellent. For current enjoyment or hold into the 2030s without concern.
Sara d’Amato – The official Orcia DOC is a relative newcomer in Tuscany, just 26 years old, tucked between its more famous neighbours, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Hence the wine’s name, “Cinderella,” the overlooked sister hoping to catch a little attention. Sangiovese leads the blend, here paired with the rare indigenous grape foglia tonda. The result is graceful and generous, both aromatically and on the palate. Oak is deftly integrated, allowing fruit and spice to move in harmony. Approachable now yet composed enough to linger thoughtfully in the glass.
That’s all for this report, see you ’round the next bottle.
John Szabo, MS
Use these quick links for access to all of our March 7th Top Picks in the New Release. Non-premium members can select from all release dates 60 days prior.
John’s Top Picks – March 7th
Lawrason’s Take – March 7th
Sara’s Selections – March 7th
Megha’s Picks – March 7th
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