Bear in mind that the vineyards in Rioja are stretched over 100 miles in length by 25 miles wide. Therefore there is room for variation and any Rioja vintages chart is a general indication of how the wine harvest was in the whole region.
Hail could have harmed vineyards in one area, but not in the rest of the region. Excessive heat could have affected Rioja Baja, but not Rioja Alavesa, as it is at a higher altitude. Late frosts could have damaged vines in Rioja Alta but not in Baja. The variants of the weather in Rioja are multiple.
The following assesment has been carried out mainly on young wines and is of a general nature. Therefore, it needs to be completed with additional references on how the wines of each particular vintage turn out after ageing.
E – Excellent
MB – Very Good
B – Good
N – Satisfactory
M – Average
| 1925 ….. MB | 1950 ….. N |
1975 ….. MB |
2000 ….. B |
| 1926 ….. M | 1951 ….. N |
1976 ….. B |
2001 ….. E |
| 1927 ….. M | 1952 ….. E |
1977 ….. N |
2002 ….. B |
| 1928 ….. MB | 1953 ….. M |
1978 ….. MB |
2003 ….. B |
| 1929 ….. N |
1954 ….. B | 1979 ….. N |
2004 ….. E |
| 1930 ….. M |
1955 ….. E |
1980 ….. B | 2005 ….. E |
| 1931 ….. MB |
1956 ….. B | 1981 ….. MB | 2006 ….. MB |
| 1932 ….. N |
1957 ….. N |
1982 ….. E |
2007 ….. MB |
| 1933 ….. N |
1958 ….. E |
1983 ….. B |
2008 ….. MB |
| 1934 ….. E |
1959 ….. MB | 1984 ….. N |
2009 ….. MB |
| 1935 ….. MB | 1960 ….. B |
1985 ….. B |
2010 ….. E |
| 1936 ….. N |
1961 ….. B | 1986 ….. B |
2011 ….. E |
| 1937 ….. N |
1962 ….. MB |
1987 ….. MB |
2012 ….. MB |
| 1938 ….. M |
1963 ….. N |
1988 ….. B |
2013 ….. B |
| 1939 ….. N |
1964 ….. E |
1989 ….. B |
2014 ….. B |
| 1940 ….. N |
1965 ….. M |
1990 ….. B |
2015 ….. MB |
| 1941 ….. B |
1966 ….. N |
1991 ….. MB |
2016 ….. MB |
| 1942 ….. MB | 1967 ….. N |
1992 ….. B |
2017 ….. MB |
| 1943 ….. B | 1968 ….. MB | 1993 ….. B |
2018 ….. B |
| 1944 ….. B | 1969 ….. N |
1994 ….. E |
2019 ….. E |
| 1945 ….. B | 1970 ….. MB | 1995 ….. E |
|
| 1946 ….. N |
1971 ….. M | 1996 ….. MB |
|
| 1947 ….. MB |
1972 ….. M |
1997 ….. B | |
| 1948 ….. E |
1973 ….. B |
1998 ….. MB | |
| 1949 ….. MB |
1974 ….. B |
1999 ….. B |
.
Does a 2014 Rioja Reserva mean grapes harvested in 2011?
ie. 2011 vintage, or is it a 2014 and only released for sale in 2017?
Thank you very much.
The small RIOJA lbel in the back of the bottle always shows the year of harvest. No matter if the bottle is a Reserva, Crianza, etc., the label in the back of the bottle Will clearly show the year of harvest.
The year on the bottle (vintage) always indicates the year the grapes were harvested.
That is correct.