The Vineyard Hoppers

The Wine Library is an independent wine merchant, based in Tower Hill, London that occasionally host wine tasting. Two of us, along with Mummy & Daddy Squibb (the OG Vineyard Hoppers from the 1990’s!), popped along for a Wines of Rioja evening.

Lia by Nivarius 2021 Pét-Nat
The first wine of the evening was a crisp naturally sparkling rose which was the perfect opener on a warm Wednesday evening.

Pet Nat (short for Pétillant Naturel) is a natural sparkling wine meaning it has been made with minimal intervention from the winemaker who instead leaves nature to do its job and develop the finished product.

A great bargain at less than £15 a bottle!

Bodegas Nivarius Rioja Blanco Fermentado en Barrica 2019
White Rioja is always a great shout for a summer BBQ and on the nose this wine gives you those summer vibes of straw, hay, butter and stone fruits.

A blend of 4 grapes using Tempranillo Blanco, Malvasia, Grenache Blanc, & Viura and there are 4 types of oaks used in the winemaking process.

Another great bargain at less than £15 a bottle!

Finca Allende Rioja Blanco 2018
The final white wine of the evening, comes from a sibling owned vineyard and can be paired with almost any food due to its versatility.

A blend of 95% Viura and 5% Malvasia fermented and aged 14 months in new French oak barrels gives the wine a good level of acidity and great amount of length and depth.

A little pricier at just under £25 a bottle, but very much worth it.

Bodegas Tarón Rioja Reserva 2015
The Bodegas Tarón Rioja Reserva gives you the crowd pleasing warmth that you expect from a bottle of Rioja.

A blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Mazuelo aged in French and American, and for us, we felt the wine tasted better than it smelt but it came with lashings of spices and liquorice. Someone else on the tasting even said the fragrance of banana skins came through!

This is a great value for money wine at less than £20 a bottle.

La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Reserva 2015
Another bold red wine which comes from a very noble vineyard of the La Rioja Alta region that’s very traditional in their wine making methods. This is around their 127th vintage of this wine!

The grapes, 80% Tempranillo, 20% Graciano, are from all their own vines and the American oak they use is over 4 years old, made by their in0house Coopers before the ageing process begins.

Usually found for just £30 a bottle, this is 100% worth the purchase a special occasion.

La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Gran Reserva 2015
This is one we’ve all drunk before and are quite big fans of as it really reminds of ‘old school’ Rioja! It’s even been listed by Vivino as one of the best wines between £20 and £40 right now.

This wine is made up of 95% Tempranillo grapes from 3 different vineyards and 5% Graciano. It is also, as the previous wine, aged in American oak that’s over 4 years old.

Pushing almost £35 a bottle, this isn’t your every day wine, but it’s one to experience for anyone that loves Rioja as we feel this is the definition of the wine!

Bodegas Tarón Pantocrator 2010
Our final wine of the the evening was the 12 year old Bodegas Tarón Pantocrator, based on wines from the Ribero de Duero region.

This particular vintage as has been rated as one of their best, and a lot of work has gone in to it; it spends a full year in stainless steel tanks before being placed in new American oak barrels for 24 months, and it will then rest in the bottle for at least six years!

For the work that goes in, it’s well worth the almost £35 a bottle!

The wine tasting was £45pp with a great cheese and pate selection accompanied by bread.