Rioja Report 2025: Stand-out producers

Having tasted so many wines – and so many good wines! – it was inevitably difficult, and painfully unfair, to come up with a selection of only seven stand out producers. And yet, the names below emerged as vivid choices once we decided to reward not just their performance at this year’s report but also their exciting potential in years to come. Their wines also reveal a trajectory of evolution and endless curiosity that will have us on the edge of our seats in 2026. Scroll down to discover which Rioja producers stood out from this year's grand tasting [subscriber-content] Alonso & Pedrajo [caption id="attachment_557201" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Alberto Pedrajo (left) and Javier Alonso with their respective families[/caption] When, in May 2024, Alonso & Pedrajo’s Suañé Reserva Rosado was one of the top scoring wines at our Rosados and Claretes Panel Tasting, many readers might have never heard of this interesting project, founded in 2011, without inherited vineyards or facilities, by the two families it takes its name from. However, as our Report’s tasting revealed, the interest of their range goes well beyond their delicious rosado . While still at a stage of exploration, this is a project that deserves both attention and encouragement. There’s something brave about starting a project from scratch and daring to defy stylistic categorisation without falling prey to the fleeting trends of the zeitgeist. Barbarot – Bárbara Palacios [caption id="attachment_557417" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Bárbara Palacios[/caption] There’s great vitality to the wines produced by Barbara Palacios under her Barbarot project. She plays along the frontier between tradition and classicism (the thinnest of lines), her wines showing an interesting, if at times conflicting, tension between fresh drinkability and broody intensity. Her recent appointment as head winemaker at Casa La Rad is an interesting development for both the storied winery and her own range. Will Palacios feel motivated to be more adventurous with the Barbarot wines? Will she be too busy? And where will she take La Rad’s decidedly traditional range? All interesting questions for the lovers of Rioja wines. Carlos Sánchez [caption id="attachment_557383" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Carlos Sánchez[/caption] There were many ‘wow’ moments during our extensive tasting. More than one coincided, we later realised, with the wines produced by Carlos Sánchez, both under his own label and in partnership with the Canadells family (Domaine Canadells-Sánchez) and friends Naco and Javier (3 Viñerones). Having started his career in Gredos, it’s definitely possible to find a stylistic connection between his Riojas and Gredos' granitic Garnachas. To say that his wines are ‘Burgundian’ is an accurate cliché, such is the filigree structure and flinty precision they all display. Deftly managing wood as a supporting framework to showcase grape variety and terroir, Sánchez is making some of Rioja’s best contemporary expressions – incredibly age-worthy but a challenge to leave in bottle. Savvy collectors will surely be taking note. Read all the articles and tasting notes in our Rioja Report 2025 Miguel Merino [caption id="attachment_557190" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Miguel Merino Jr. with wife and partner Erika Dubaele[/caption] An ‘usual suspect’ some will say. But it was inevitable to include Miguel Merino on this list such was the consistency of the wines’ performance across categories. The elegance and purity that have made Merino one of the most sought after names of post-modern Rioja has eased into a confident classicism. Part of it might be a product of the increasing confidence of Merino Jr. who, alongside wife Erika, took the helm of the estate following the founder’s passing in 2021. Their vision and energy seems to be gaining as much definition as the wines they produce, bringing contemporary vividness to what is Merino’s trademark purity and structural elegance. Ramón Bilbao [caption id="attachment_557386" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Rosana Lisa, director of innovation at Ramón Bilbao and technical director of Lalomba[/caption] Having celebrated its centenary in 2024, Ramón Bilbao seems to have settled into a coherent diversity after a period of tentative experimentations. Its different collections add a point of character and difference to a whole of incredible quality and, in some cases, outstanding value. The secret behind Ramón Bilbao’s evolution and success became apparent during our Rioja Report tasting, held at the producer’s facilities in Haro. The efficiency, focus and flexibility with which they helped us navigate a blind tasting of circa 700 wines reflects the work ethics of Rosana Lisa, director of innovation and technical director of Lalomba, and Rodolfo Bastida, head winemaker and general manager. With complementary skills and perspectives they are building an ever more consistent range, that counts both longstanding classics and groundbreaking innovations. Sandra Bravo – Sierra de Toloño [caption id="attachment_557189" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Sandra Bravo of Sierra de Toloño[/caption] The freshness and textural appeal of the wines produced by Sandra Bravo at Sierra de Toloño are very distinct, and truly shone at this tasting. She pairs unpretentiousness and approachability with complexity and technical ability. Her straightforward, no-nonsense energy comes through in each bottle, as does her knowledge and experience working in other wine regions. That’s perhaps the greatest strength of her range: international modernity that doesn’t lose sight of its roots; sense of place with worldly awareness. Her flagship Nahikun is slated to become one of Rioja’s most sought-after white wines (you heard it here first!), while her reds certainly deserve more attention. We’re keeping an eye on you Sandra. Vintae [caption id="attachment_557418" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Richi Arambarri, general manager, and Raúl Acha, head winemaker at Vintae[/caption] The family-owned company behind the Hacienda López de Haro and El Pacto wines is a force to be reckoned with. Their ability to think ‘outside of the box’ while reinterpreting textbook examples of much loved styles, have allowed them to create some of Rioja’s newest and more exciting modern classics. Vintae’s wines are among the top-scorers across all categories, with diversity matched by consistency and personality married with approachability. Vintae’s success is about harnessing the essence of Rioja while understanding what we really want to drink. There’s an ability (and willingness) to reach out in each glass. It’s this willingness to engage and playfully seduce that Rioja (and arguably all the wine industry) so desperately need. That the wines are superb just makes the ultimate case for this energy and unpretentiousness – which Vintae’s wines themselves vividly show. [/subscriber-content] Related articles Rioja Report 2025: Notes on a tasting a century in the making Rioja Report 2025: The white wines Rioja Report 2025: Fresh reds

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Scroll down to discover which Rioja producers stood out from this year’s grand tasting

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