That’s about what I’ve paid over the last couple years for both the 2008 and 2009 vintages of Cubillo. Still available here in Seattle area for $25 or less…
Michael
See if you can find the 2013 Bodegas Ramon Bilbao Rioja Limited Edition. $17 at Total Wine locally (while they had that vintage), excellent, worth a bulk purchase at that price.
I’m not a big Rioja drinker - American oak and all that - but this is an excellent daily drinker and under $20:
La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi
https://www.b-21.com/2012-La-Rioja-Alta-Reserva-Vina-Alberdi/productinfo/ESRATE12CE/#.XHCHv6ROnYU
The 2011 had a less prounced American oak signature than all the more recent releases of the La Rioja Alta cuvees, including the 904, and I enjoyed it more for that reason. Great to have a yak palate at times. Sounds like the 2012 may use more new oak, see the linked notes.
Keep in mind this thread is from 2012 
… I realized that when someone suggested Tondonia rosado for <$25
Shooting fish in a barrel. IMO it is extremely hard to find bad Rioja. There are numerous Reservas out there for under $20. The board has mostly gone with well-known names, which are well-known for a reason. I’ve had most of them and of those mentioned am very fond of La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi. The Faustino wines are good, I prefer the Alberdi. Both are deeply traditional. Paternina is a good blast from the past, I prefer it to Lan. Caceres is good but a little modern. Cune is very good, Murrieta even better, but both are likely to be over $20.
When I worked retail, I made it a point to keep to the customer’s budget. If they said ‘twenty bucks’, I never, ever recommended anything for $21. Yeah, Lopez Heredia will give you a better bottle, but that’s not what the OP is asking for.
Dan Kravitz
![[rofl.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/a/a7452fcd8e675af869f8da01174474a545b03944.gif "rofl"){kind=small}
it all makes sense now!
The best $20 Rioja is La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza.
But it costs $30, definitely worth another $10.
Beautiful, You won’t regret it.
I had the Alberdi at a local tasting recently. It was terrible, must have been corked.
I mentioned it to the server and he shrugged it off.
Probably worth a go.
Actually tonight I opened 2013 Izadi Reserva Rioja, not bad for $13.
jnbrown agree for the extra $10!!!
2008 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (6/14/2018)
Day 1: This wine is outstanding! Slow ox for 2 hours. Nice fruit featuring Bing cherries and blueberries. Oak is present but settle down after an initial taste. Classic Rioja with leather, minerals and spices. On the finish picks up some mint elements. This is a super complex effort with a medium to long finish. I see this wine aging well for a decade. One of the better QPRs of the year. 93-95.
Day 2: Interesting on this wine. While I thought it might improve the opposite happened. Wine lacked the fruit and complexity of day 1. If I were to rate it on day two 87 points would have been given.
Recommendation: This is why I experiment over 3 days. This wine is a day 1 pop and pour and see the evolution over the night. I would actually consume these within 3 years for maximum enjoyment. (93 points)
+1 Gravonia (blanco)
Not going to get any better than this. Also, look for sale prices on Muga - widely available, sale priced a lot -
Scott Sutherland wrote: ↑
Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:02 pm
I like the La Rioja Alta “Vina Alberdi” Reserva. It’s $20.Scott
Not going to get any better than this. Also, look for sale prices on Muga - widely available, sale priced a lot -
Thomas as stated earlier in thread the 2012 Muga for $9 at Big Top/Sid’s in the closeout bins.
Well, the Tondonia rosado hasn’t gone up all that much at retail since back then - at least here in Seattle. A few months ago, I paid $30 for a bottle of the 2008 vintage from local store. Of course, the problem was that one bottle was all they would sell me - strict allocation of one bottle per customer. Seems a bit harsh, but then again they only had one case total.
Michael
M Mager send in 11 of your friends.
Problem is that many of my friends also like this wine. Three of them grabbed a bottle each for themselves. Doubt that the other 8 stayed around for long…
Michael
You had amazing luck/timing to get one bottle. Last one at K&L auction went for $307
What’s the story on the massive spike in price of the LdH rose?
an 8 vintage gap + traditional Rioja being “rediscovered” during that gap…
The one bottle I had of the 2006 was disgusting. Not bad; rather, disgusting. Offensive. Shameful.
Add me to the chorus of love for the “Gravonia” blanco, however. That one is an annual multi-bottle purchase for me. Along with Musar’s white (which is difficult to find on shelves), it gets my vote for best wine to have with “Chicken With Two Lemons” (whole oven-roasted chicken).
Nah it’s not that bad. But it is modern! I believe they have an exemption from the DOC to blend in up to 10% cab into their Reserva and still label it “Rioja”.
The bottle I had seemed royally F—ed up.
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