Izadi Rioja Blanco

Izadi make Rioja that feels modern without forgetting why people fell in love with Rioja in the first place. Founded in the late 1980s in Rioja Alavesa, the winery helped push the region away from endless dusty old-school oak bombs and toward something fresher, cleaner and more vineyard-driven, while still keeping all the spice, structure and depth you actually want from Rioja.

Everything revolves around old vineyards spread across tiny plots around Villabuena, Samaniego and Ábalos. Tempranillo does most of the heavy lifting, bringing dark cherry fruit, liquorice, spice and silky tannins, but there’s usually a lovely freshness running through the wines thanks to the cooler Rioja Alavesa climate.

The Crianza is probably the bottle most people start with. Soft oak, ripe berry fruit and enough structure to handle food properly without becoming one of those Riojas that tastes like you’re chewing an antique wardrobe. Then once you move into the Reservas and single vineyard wines, things get much more layered and serious very quickly.

Izadi also avoids a problem some modern Rioja producers run into where everything starts tasting internationally polished and slightly anonymous. These wines still feel properly Spanish. Loads of savoury character, proper acidity and built very much for actual meals rather than scoring points in tasting competitions.

Basically Rioja for people who want elegance without losing the soul of the region.