Every Bar in Logroño Bar Had These Bottles

Around this time last year, Dan and I were tramping around Rioja, getting a feel and taste of how the place was changing. For years, I had heard from friends in the wine business about the “New Rioja.”

I couldn’t resist; I wanted to see what this change was for myself.

Rioja has a long history and lots of old vines, but it’s not a place frozen in time. It balances centuries-old cellars with gleaming new buildings - the Spanish are not hesitant to step into the 21st century.

Case in point: Paco Garcia, located in Murillo de Río Leza, east of Logroño. Even before we visited the winery, we couldn’t escape how much these guys have caught on locally. On our evening crawl of the Calle Laurel — Logroño’s famous tapas bar quarter — nearly every bar had bottles of Paco Garcia on display.

In 2008, Juan Bautista and his wife Ana began running the winery that Juan Bautista’s parents had started only a few years earlier in 2001. They let their imagination and energy drive the winemaking forward. Working with old vines dating back to 1880, they also experiment with creative winemaking solutions everywhere. The custom alternating conical tanks (shown in the photo) are not only space-saving, but also allow different levels of extraction from the grapes for more control. Where traditional Rioja is known for heavy use of American oak, Juan Bautista moderates this with less new barrels and a mix of French oak, letting the grapes speak for themselves.

To get an understanding of any region or winemaker, it’s always best to try more than one wine. So I’ve put together a perfect 3 pack from one of the most exciting producers working in Rioja to show you what this dynamic region is all about. These three wines showcase how Rioja has become less homogenous, less stuffy, more nuanced, and overall more exciting.

Bodegas Paco García ‘Seis’ 2023

This is Paco Garcia’s take on the Joven style of Rioja. Made from 100% Tempranillo, this lively young wine is bright, aromatically intense, and immediately inviting. Bursting with blueberry, strawberry, and violet, with a touch of baking spice. Fruity, round, and fresh on the tongue, with a refreshing acidity, perfect for all those tapas!

Bodegas Paco García ‘Crianza’ 2022

‘Crianza’ means “well-bred”… in this case, it's a reference to aging the wine before release. This Crianza is 90% Tempranillo with 10% Garnacha, and spends one year in barrel, with an additional year in bottle before being released for sale. The expressive nature of Tempranillo and the tradition of heavily-oaked wines are tempered by opting for subtler French oak in lieu of the American oak barrels, prioritizing the fruit, and complementing the naturally spicy qualities of Tempranillo.

The nose is full of baking spices, black plum, and a touch of pastry crust. On the palate, this is rich and juicy with harmonious notes of spice, vanilla, and menthol, with smooth but structured tannins and a bright, clean finish.

Bodegas Paco García ‘Cantamilano’ 2022

Garnacha is widely planted throughout Rioja, though it is less often seen dominating the blend, much less bottled entirely on its own. But this wine makes a case for 100% Garnacha. Aged in a mix of French (70%) and American ( 30%) oak for 12 months, the result is a perfectly balanced, succulent, and dense wine. The aromas are a varied canvas of fresh fruit with notes of strawberries, orange peel, and lilac. The palate is juicy, with ripe fruit, balanced by a fine structure full of tension.