Hugonell Crianza Rioja 2023
£10.95
The wine
A smooth and rounded traditional Rioja blend of red berried fruit and beautifully integrated oaky notes of subtle spice and vanilla. The middle rung of the range, and the one that shows the classic style most clearly.
Crianza requires two years of ageing with at least one in oak. American oak has traditionally been used in Rioja rather than French, a legacy of the trade with the Americas, and it is where the region's characteristic vanilla and coconut note comes from. Ready to drink on release, as Rioja almost always is.
The producer
Hugonell
View all Hugonell winesHugonell is a Rioja label built on the region's classic ageing categories, made from Tempranillo with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano in the traditional proportions.
Rioja's system is unlike any other. Rather than classifying by vineyard, it classifies by time: Joven means young and unaged, Crianza requires two years with one in oak, Reserva three years with one in oak, and Gran Reserva five years with two. The bodega, not the buyer, does the waiting, and Rioja is almost unique in releasing its wines ready to drink.
American oak has traditionally been used here rather than French, a legacy of the trade with the Americas, and it is where Rioja's characteristic vanilla and coconut note comes from. Having the Joven, Crianza and Reserva side by side is the clearest possible demonstration of what those years in barrel actually do.






