Luis Alegre is one of the most renowned wineries in Rioja Alavesa. For its Reserva, it uses only its best old tempranillo vines, and furthermore, it comes from one of the most outstanding vintages of the 21st century in Rioja, the 2019 harvest. Luis Alegre Reserva 2019 is a very drinkable and pleasant Rioja. It offers all the complexity, smoothness, and elegance of long-aged wines, avoiding an excessive presence of oak to deliver fruit and freshness.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
Consumption time
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
100% Tempranillo
Type of barrel
Selection of barrels made from Missouri and French oak
Barrel aging time
30 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14
General Information
Luis Alegre Reserva 2019 is crafted with Tempranillo grapes from the winery's own vineyards, with an average age of 50 years. These valuable old vines, in the 2019 vintage (rated as Excellent), yielded fruit of the highest quality. The vineyards are located in Rioja Alavesa at an altitude ranging between 400-610 m, distributed across small plots on limestone soils with clay and sandstone intrusions, very poor in organic matter.
Manual harvest. Once at the winery, the fruit fermented in stainless steel at a controlled temperature for 10 days. The resulting wine underwent 30 months of aging in a selection of barrels made from Missouri (USA) and French oak. Once bottled, this red wine was refined for 6 months to achieve perfect balance.
Bodegas Luis Alegre was founded in 1968 in Laguardia, the heart of Rioja Alavesa, and initially focused on producing carbonic maceration wines. Since then, its prestige has grown steadily, becoming one of the most renowned wineries in the region. A ‘boutique’ winery dedicated to high-quality aged wines, it is led by winemaker Alejandro Simó, who works with vineyards averaging 30 years old to create the range of wines.
Luis Alegre Reserva 2019 (D.O.Ca. Rioja) is perfect for pairing with grilled beef tenderloin or a spiced lamb stew.
Tasting notes
Cherry red color with good depth. It boasts an intense and expressive nose, highlighting aromas of ripe red fruit, spicy and smoky notes, toasted hints, and a background of aromatic herbs. On the palate, it is balanced, flavorful, pleasant, enveloping, and with good acidity that provides freshness; its texture is velvety, and the finish is of good length.
The winery
In one of the most sought-after areas of the national vineyard, in the municipality of Laguardia -the heart of Rioja Alavesa-, stands Bodegas Luis Alegre (1968), a ‘boutique’ winery positioned in the high-end segment of Rioja wines. The success of this winery is based on the magnificent work of its technical director, Alejandro Simó. It is a model winery that stands out for its groundbreaking spirit, always grounded in its most precious asset: its 52 hectares of vineyard, which produce wines deeply connected to the land.
A blend of plots of different ages, some nearly a century old like Finca Portiles, where advanced and quality viticulture is applied to promote the traditional varieties of Rioja, led by the noble Tempranillo. The inclination of Bodegas Luis Alegre towards selective pruning, soil tilling aimed at regular oxygenation, non-aggressive treatments, and, of course, limited yields and selection tables, forms part of the DNA of this winemaking house.
Adding to this is Alejandro Simó's obsession with the type of aging of their wines, in which he actively participates starting from the oak forest itself, selecting the best trees that will form the barrels that years later will age their wines, resulting in something truly unique.
Since 2022, Bodegas Luis Alegre has been part of the Muriel Wines group, which also includes wineries such as Muriel, Viña Eguía, Conde de los Andes, and the Galician Pazo Cilleiro.