Classica Hacienda López de Haro – a journey through Rioja’s memory
The future of Rioja – and fine wine
Classica Hacienda López de Haro’s Reservas and Gran Reservas are a study in modern classicism. They pay tribute to Rioja’s deep – and somewhat lost – heritage of long-aged wines, while setting a new benchmark for the region’s future. They also balance character and style, on the one hand, with regional typicity and vintage expressiveness, on the other, in a way that is neither obvious nor easy to achieve.
PHOTOS: LOLA GARCIA PHOTOGRAPHY (event photos) & Hacienda López de Haro (all other photos)
Published 30TH OCTOBER 2026
But what does the future of Rioja look like? And what does it mean to make wines that are at once interpretations of tradition, children of their own time and endurance athletes. Richi Arambarri, CEO of Vintae, the group of wineries based in La Rioja in Logroño of which Hacienda López de Haro is part, was in London for one the most memorable Decanter Presents... sessions to date.
He discussed those and many other hot topics, giving attendees a masterclass on an exciting moment in Hacienda López de Haro’s – and Rioja’s – evolution. As Arambarri explained, the region is consolidating its sense of identity both through complex, ageworthy fine wines and drinkable, fluid, young-drinking styles. In tandem, they convey an identity that is itself complex and layered, shaped as much by big, historical estates as by humble small-holders.
While the pretext was the official release of Hacienda López de Haro’s Classica Reserva Tinto 2016, the event offered a privileged overview of the winery’s current releases and back vintages, honing in on the growing viticultural challenges (catalysed, of course, by climate change), ongoing exploration of Rioja’s terroir diversity and the urgency to preserve the genetic diversity and cultural relevance of old vines.
An evolving narrative
Pandemonium Blanco de Tintas 2021 94 pts
Complex, surprising blanc de noirs, produced from Garnacha grown on the higher-altitude sites of the Sierra de la Demanda on iron-rich soils. It remains five years on the lees which accounts for the moreish notes of frangipane, toasted almonds and rising dough. The bubbles are fine, creamy and persistent, supporting – along with the robust acid line – the wine’s energy and length. There’s a fleshy softness perfectly offset by a dynamic, electric verve. Delicious.
Alcohol 12%
Tasting Notes
Hacienda López de Haro, Classica Gran Reserva Blanco 2016 97 pts
Deep and complex yet so playful. Vivid, meaty apricot, loquat and clementine jam cloaked in oregano, thyme and curry leaf. Generously sprinkled with saffron and coriander seeds, and an appetising layer of honeycomb, almond tart and crème brûlée. Traditional in an unconventional, mischievous way.
Alc 12.5%
Hacienda López de Haro, Classica Gran Reserva Rosado 2016 97 pts
Deep in colour, much closer to a light red than a simple rosé, with ripe tannins and juicy, rich red berry fruit. A blend of 60% Viura and 40% Garnacha, it ages for four years in French and Eastern European oak barriques,and spends a further five years in bottle prior to release, maintaining its freshness yet also offering a serious structure. It will appeal to both rosé and red drinkers alike.
Alc 13.3%
Hacienda López de Haro, Classica Gran Reserva Rosado 2013 98 pts
A child of Rioja’s oldest vintage of the 20th century so far, this has a lovely vibrancy and fluidity. The pure core of pomegranate, cranberry and blood orange is cloaked in rose petals, rosehip and cherry leaf. Abundantly sprinkled with almond flakes and liquorice. A balsamic freshness, with fragrant notes of sage, mint and basil, lifts the voluminous palate. The tannins are firm but delightfully fresh. Complex and focused with a long tail of macerated herbs and bergamot.
Alc 13.3%
Hacienda López de Haro, Classica Gran Reserva Rosado 2012 96 pts
Deep yet playful notes of frangipane, cherry pie and orange bitters, set against a background of sour cherry, pink grapefruit and cranberry juice, and supported by a scaffold of toasted almonds
and toast, build a wine that is developing beautifully, leaning comfortably in to its moreish richness. Top notes of pot pourri, coriander and oregano add perfumed levity. Finishes with a delicious touch of amaretto.
Alc 12.8%
Hacienda López de Haro, Classica Gran Reserva Tinto 2006 95 pts
Fleshy, juicy core of blackberry, plum and mulberry, with a fresher rim of wild strawberries and cranberry. Vivid spicy outline of black pepper, liquorice and cardamom adding definition and energy. Vibrant and crunchy throughout with firm but refreshingly zesty tannins and a lifting layer of mountain herbs and wet soil. Invitingly and comfortingly classic.
Alc 14%
Hacienda López de Haro, Classica Gran Reserva Tinto 2005 94 pts
With a broody, maturing depth, this delivers layers of wet tobacco, melting dark chocolate, roasted coffee beans and ripe figs, sprinkled with cardamom, nutmeg and black pepper. The well-honed tannins are fine and smoky, holding to the back palate with touches of cedar and sage.
Alc 14.3%
Hacienda López de Haro, Classica Gran Reserva Tinto 2001 98 pts
This wine retains remarkable vividness and definition a quarter century after its grapes were harvested. The silky tannins are so fine and detailed, building a filigree structure that supports the beautiful core of dried cranberries, Port-infused cherries and strawberry jam. A veil of spice – dominated by liquorice and black and pink pepper – adds energy while a lively touch of glazed orange zest brings in both sweet fleshiness and zesty verve. A remarkably accomplished wine that finished with a fluttering tail of camphor, cedar and cedar leaves.
Alc 14.3%
Hacienda López de Haro, Classica Reserva Tinto 2016 93 pts
A wine that sits at the sweet spot where all Rioja’s Reservas should be, balancing fresh, crunchy fruit with savoury, broody smokiness. The cherry, plum and sloe fruit is generously coated in dark chocolate, while the tannins are outlined with pink pepper and cardamom. The earthy intensity of Turkish coffee fills and lingers on the back palate. Approachable and so enjoyable, yet serious in its layered dynamism, this might be a perfect introduction to long-aged Rioja.
Alc 14.3%
Discover more: HACIENDALOPEZDEHARO.COM/EN
Classica Hacienda López de Haro
Inside and out
Raúl Acha, Vintae’s winegrower and technical director, has an umbilical relationship with the Rioja landscape and incredible technical ability, both distilled into an instinctive, visceral knowledge of the vineyards he produces from. He is a quintessential ‘viticulture-first winemaker’, deploying cellar work with assertive sensitivity and quiet confidence.
So much is obvious in all Classica wines tasted: uncompromising in their stylistic proposition as long, oak-aged; animated by a vital energy and vivid freshness; elegant yet strong; sophisticated yet unpretentious.
This sense of serious playfulness can be found both inside and outside the bottles. Commissioned each vintage from an illustrator, each Classica label depicts a historical personality from Rioja, pivotal, in one way or another, to the region’s wine history. Some are deferential while others are amusingly mocking. They invite a second reading, defying immediacy and obviousness.
Those are the same principles that guide the making and enjoyment of Hacienda López de Haro Classica wines: they ask for time and attention, delivering complexity and wisdom, without ever losing sight of enjoyment and fun. That might just be the essence of Rioja.
SPONSOR CONTENT CREATED WITH Classica Hacienda López de Haro
Hacienda López de Haro, Vintae’s flagship project, was founded by José Miguel Arambarri Terrero, Arambarri’s father, with the goal of making ‘classic, contemporary wines’. That mission was embraced – and being fulfilled – by the second generation at the helm.
The Classica wines are the project’s top range consisting, until the release of the Reserva 2016, of Gran Reservas produced in only exceptional vintages, with a minimum ageing of 10 years for whites and rosados, and a minimum 15 for reds. The Classica releases have been consistently received with great acclaim by consumers and critics alike, earning numerous accolades – not least a flurry of Platinum medals at multiple editions of the Decanter World Wine Awards.
If Arambarri’s entrepreneurial spirit and seemingly endless energy (vividly portrayed in A day in the life of a bodeguero, a feature that ran in Decanter’s 2026 Rioja Guide) have been essential to the success of the Hacienda López de Haro project, Arambarri’s partner Raúl Acha has played an equally important role.
'All Classica wines tasted: uncompromising in their stylistic proposition as long, oak-aged; animated by a vital energy and vivid freshness; elegant yet strong; sophisticated yet unpretentious.'
Ines Salpico Decanter regional editor for Spain, Portugal and South America and Richi Arambarri, CEO of Vintae
The Rioja landscape
An impressive line-up from Hacienda López de Haro