2020 Rioja Reserva, Izadi

• Style: Modern Rioja Reserva, silky and structured
• Taste: Blackberry, redcurrant, tobacco, liquorice, earthy minerality
• Food: Roast dinners, braised beef, lamb, game, aged cheese
• Occasion: Sunday lunch, weeknight, generous company
• Serve: 14.5% ABV, drink now or cellar 5–10 years

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Concentrated blackberry and redcurrant sit on silky tannins, framed by tobacco, liquorice and earthy minerality from high-altitude clay-chalk soils. Two years in oak (one-fifth new) plus bottle age have melded the fruit into clarity and depth. Crisp acidity keeps the wine alive and food-ready; at 14.5% alcohol, there's ripeness without weight. This is Tempranillo in its truest expression—a wine that drinks like itself.

The Winery — Izadi

Izadi was founded in 1987 by Gonzalo Antón as a modern break from family tradition, and now run by his son Lalo. Perched on a hillside at 450–550 metres altitude in Villabuena, Rioja Alavesa, the gravity-fed winery reflects a philosophy: wine made to serve the table. The 2020 vintage faced spring challenges—damp and mildew—but Izadi's discipline in the vineyard (lower yields, careful management) and gentle handling at harvest (whole-bunch pressing, temperature control) captured ripe, clean fruit. Malolactic fermentation in steel preserved purity. The result earned 90+ scores from James Suckling (92), Decanter (91), Vinum and Wine Spectator.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Built for savoury occasions and generous company, this wine pairs beautifully with roasted lamb, braised beef, grilled duck, aged Manchego and chorizo. The wine's silky structure and acidity make it equally at home on a weeknight or Sunday lunch. If you're building a Spain collection, this sits alongside the finest Rioja examples we've found, representing what serious Tempranillo producers achieve when they trust the grape and the site. Drink now or cellar confidently for five to ten years.