Rioja Focus: Bodegas Roda’s Through-line to Clarity

As our tasting began at Bodegas Roda in Rioja, managing director Agustin Santolaya noted that the appellation’s governing body is set to upgrade the 2021 vintage from “very good” to “excellent.” It’s a fitting revision. The singular conditions of the year produced wines of remarkable precision and clarity – none more so than the Roda I, which may well be the finest expression the estate has ever achieved.

During my visit earlier this year, I walked the Roda I vineyards with Santalaya and export manager Víctor Charcan before tasting 10 vintages of the wine, spanning 2012 to 2021. The Roda I Reserva is sourced from a mosaic of parcels across neighboring villages, each vinified separately. The blend is predominantly tempranillo, complemented by smaller proportions of graciano and, in certain years, garnacha. The tasting offered a clear lens through which to view vintage variation within the framework of a consistent house style.

That style is defined by polish and control, with oak used generously yet judiciously, typically well integrated across the range. Particular attention is paid to tannin quality, with the aim of achieving an expansive, supple and lustrous texture that supports wines of balance and precision, leaning toward the richer end of the spectrum with a detailed sense of harmony. Within this context, 2021 stood out as the benchmark.

Each parcel is destemmed and fermented separately in oak vats ranging from 20 to 40 hectoliters, with fermentations lasting around 17 days, depending on the vintage. The wines are then pressed and transferred to barrel, where they complete malolactic fermentation.

The wines are aged for approximately 16 months in barrel – 50 percent new and 50 percent first-use, medium-toast oak – sourced from a range of coopers with whom the estate works closely. Each year, these coopers are invited to the winery to taste their barrels blind, ensuring rigorous selection and consistency. This is followed by around 20 months of bottle aging prior to release.

The 2021 vintage was distinctive in several respects. In the aftermath of the Covid period, Spain experienced the historic snowstorm Filomena in early January, blanketing Rioja in snow and bringing much of the country to a halt. This event set the tone for a cooler growing season, with annual rainfall of around 432 millimeters – on the lower end of the spectrum.

In the glass, 2021 is defined by its balance and precision. A linear core of dark fruit is framed by polished, finely tuned tannins that bring clarity and focus. It is a restrained, refined expression, marked by structure and quiet confidence.

By contrast, 2020 was significantly wetter, with approximately 632 millimeters of rainfall, making it the third wettest vintage in the estate’s history. Warmer conditions contributed to a broader, more voluminous wine. The tannins are more expansive, yet remain polished and well-integrated, preserving balance within a richer profile.

Santaolalla considers 2019 the greatest recent vintage prior to 2021. It is more restrained than 2020, with a cohesive, fleshy mid-palate, though not as tightly knit as 2021. A warm summer, punctuated by two heatwaves in July, led to uneven bunch development. Rainfall in early August helped restore equilibrium, allowing for more balanced ripening. In many ways, 2019 bridges the precision of 2021 and the breadth of 2020.

The 2018 vintage was notably wet, with around 668 millimeters of rainfall – the second-highest total in Rioja after 1992. As Santaolalla remarked, even the region’s frontones – the traditional walled courts for Basque pelota – were flooded. The wine shows a gentler, more composed profile, with a shift toward red fruit and a more elegant, approachable character.

The challenges of 2017 were significant: the earliest harvest on record, a severe frost on April 28, and an extremely dry summer. It produced the most concentrated wine in the lineup, with aromatics tending toward chocolate, licorice and plum, and a richer opulent palate, yet still retaining the polish that defines the house style.

In 2016, a dry summer was tempered by timely rainfall, easing vine stress ahead of harvest. The wines combine clarity and inherent richness with approachability and precision. As Santaolalla noted, it was “an easy vintage that produced easy wines.”

The 2015 vintage shows a distinct Mediterranean character. It was a warm year, particularly around veraison, with average rainfall in the region around 570 millimeters, which is slightly higher than the 502 general regional average. The wine reflects this with a dark color and notes of underbrush, offering an exuberant yet controlled expression.

Conditions in 2014 were far more difficult. Rainfall in June brought significant mildew and oidium pressure, followed by periods of hydric stress. Ripening was uneven, requiring a highly selective, fragmented harvest. In this vintage, the oak is more pronounced, as the lighter structure of the wine struggles somewhat to absorb it. Additional cellaring should allow for better integration over time.

The 2013 vintage mirrors 2018 in some respects. A cool, Atlantic-influenced year with around 614 millimeters of rainfall, it was marked by late flowering and a harvest that extended into October. The wines are more linear and less voluminous, with firm, crunchy tannins. Already approachable, it is likely to evolve toward greater finesse and aromatic lift with age, as the oak continues to integrate.

Overall, the tasting offered a compelling perspective on how Roda interprets vintage variation while maintaining a clear stylistic identity. The cooler years, in particular, stand out for their nuance, restraint, and precision—qualities that align with a more contemporary definition of balance in Rioja.

There is a clear through-line among vintages such as 2021, 2019, 2018, 2016, and 2013. While they differ in structure and scale, they share a common emphasis on clarity and definition, expressed through either broader or more linear profiles.

Ultimately, what defines a “great” vintage in Rioja today depends on the balance one seeks. For my part, I find myself drawn increasingly toward the cooler, more measured years – where precision, freshness and subtlety take precedence over sheer power.

Jacobo García Andrade, Senior Editor

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated by the JamesSuckling.com tasting team. You can sort the wines by vintage and score. You can also search for specific wines in the search bar.