Crianza: Must be aged for a total of 2 years, in the case of reds one of which must be in oak casks not larger than 225 litres whereas whites and rosados need just 6 months.
Reserva: Reds must be aged for a minimum of 3 years one of which must be in oak casks. Whites and rosés must be aged for at least 2 years prior top release, of which just 6 months need be spent in barrica.
Gran Reserva: These must be aged for a minimum of 5 years, 2 of which must be in cask. Whites and rosé must be aged for at least 4 years with at least 6 months in cask.
It should be noted that these are minimum requirements and that many of the more traditional bodegas go well beyond them. Equally, it is important to realise that ageing requirements are not necessarily the same in other D.O.s.
As well as these controlled ageing regulations, some producers are now going outside of these restrictions and producing new 'Super-wines'. These often have much more to do with Pomerol in Bordeaux than traditional Rioja. Some examples of these are our own Bodegas Allende, Remelluri and Bodegas Artadi.
