Best Rioja red wines 2026: 18 award-winning Spanish reds to try

The red wines of Rioja, home to some of Spain’s most historic producers, are beloved around the world for their distinctive balance of ripe fruit and well-integrated oak, creating vibrant berry flavours with layers of sweet spice and savoury complexity.

But alongside these more traditional expressions, a new wave of Rioja red wines have emerged. Producers are increasingly placing greater emphasis on individual vineyards, sites and soils, often combining more restrained oak ageing with a focus on freshness, precision and purity of fruit. French oak has also become more commonplace alongside the American oak historically associated with the region.

The result is a region capable of producing an increasingly diverse range of styles, from silky, mature Gran Reservas with decades of ageing potential to energetic, more fruit driven wines that put vineyard character firmly in the front.

Whatever the approach, Rioja remains one of the world’s most dependable fine-wine regions. Its best reds combine complexity with versatility, are capable of being enjoyed in their youth or cellared for years, and are equally at home alongside food or without.

Tempranillo grapes on the vine in La Rioja — Tempranillo grapes on the vine

Five wines led the way at the IWSC 2026, each one awarded 96 points. Bodegas Altanza Club Reserva 2017 impressed with its combination of ripe cherry Bakewell, toast and subtle herb notes, while Bodegas Ramón Bilbao Reserva 2020 offered a richer expression, layering ripe berries with chocolate, coffee and cloves. Hacienda López de Haro Classica Reserva 2016 also scored 96 points, alongside Bodegas de Familia Burgo Viejo Licenciado Reserva 2022.

Proving that Rioja’s highest scoring wines aren’t confined to long-aged Reservas, J. Garcia Carrion’s Marqués de Carrión Crianza 2019 completed the group of 96-point wines. Judges praised its stylish, intense palate of ripe red fruit, olive and vanilla, balanced by rounded tannins.

There was further diversity among the 95-point Gold medal winners. Gómez Cruzado Predilecto 2023 was described as ‘joyful, energetic, and highly drinkable’, with vibrant acidity and crunchy black fruit, while Hacienda López de Haro Classica Gran Reserva 2006 demonstrated the other end of the Rioja spectrum, offering developed notes of dried fruit, earthy mushroom and sweet spice.

All wines were tasted blind by an expert IWSC judging panels. Taken together, this year’s results show a region confidently balancing its heritage while developing a more diverse range of styles, from mature, classically structured Gran Reservas to vibrant younger wines built around freshness, fruit and drinkability.

How do we judge these wines?

We run a tightly structured, rigorous wine tasting process. That means that each wine sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC wine judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the wine industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.

How do we score these wines?

Only the best wines sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, wines have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.

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