A Return to Greatness: The Story of Granja Remelluri 2010

Some wines don’t just mark a year — they mark a turning point. Granja Remelluri 2010 is one of them.

This is the vintage that confirmed why Remelluri remains one of the most quietly brilliant estates in Spain, and why collectors who follow the detail — vineyard elevation, parcel identity, tannin finesse — always find their way back to these hillsides above Labastida. For all the noise in Rioja, Remelluri’s voice is calm, precise and unwavering. The 2010 is the wine that brings that into perfect focus.

The Estate: A Vineyard With a Pulse

Remelluri is not a modern invention or a marketing exercise — it’s an historic estate built around a 14th-century monastery with some of the most dramatic high-altitude vineyards in Rioja Alavesa. Steep slopes. Limestone. Wild herbs. Alpine breezes. It’s a place where Tempranillo feels sculpted rather than grown.

And while the estate has centuries of heritage, its modern identity comes from Telmo Rodríguez — one of Spain’s most respected winemakers and a fierce defender of terroir. Returning to his family’s estate in the late 2000s, Telmo brought with him a radical idea for Rioja: make Remelluri only from its own vineyards. No bought fruit. No shortcuts. Just the raw expression of this unique site.

The Vintage

Weather-wise, 2010 was close to perfect. A long, cool season. Slow ripening. A harvest without heat spikes or panic. In other words: the kind of year you can’t manufacture, plan for, or count on.

Telmo has always said that Granja should taste like the landscape it comes from. In 2010, that philosophy came alive — effortlessly.

The wine is deep without weight, powerful without excess, and structured without austerity. You get crushed red berries, graphite, mountain flowers, black tea, spice and that unmistakable mineral line that runs through every great Remelluri wine. But in 2010 it’s all dialled in with almost eerie precision.

This is the vintage that critics singled out as a modern benchmark — 98 points from James Suckling, glowing reviews from Wine Advocate — but more importantly, it’s the vintage that collectors quietly began hoarding.

The Style: Beauty in Restraint

What sets Granja Remelluri apart is its refusal to shout. This isn’t glossy oak, inflated fruit or blockbuster Rioja. This is vineyard-first winemaking.

• Tempranillo brings the architecture
• Garnacha adds lift and energy
• Graciano brings spice, colour and longevity

Everything is hand-picked. Every parcel is vinified separately. Ageing takes place in a mix of barrels and foudres chosen not for fashion but for feel. Telmo’s touch is invisible — which is exactly the point.

The result is a wine that feels timeless. A Rioja with Burgundian clarity. A Spanish classic with the soul of the mountain.

Drinking Now — and for Decades

After 15 years, the 2010 has settled into that sweet spot where primary fruit, savoury detail and tertiary depth all meet. The tannins are near-satin. The finish is long, mineral and effortless.

Drink it now — it’s glorious.
Keep it another decade — it’ll only gain detail.

Either way, the 2010 is one of those rare wines that reminds you why patience is worth it.

In a world of noise, Remelluri stays quiet. And that’s exactly why the wines are so compelling. There’s no flash, no trend-chasing, no hype machine. Just vineyards, craftsmanship and a family who know exactly what they want to say.

Granja Remelluri 2010 isn’t just a wine for collectors — it’s a wine for people who care deeply about where wine comes from and why that matters.

If you’ve secured an allocation, you’ve got a piece of one of Rioja’s defining vintages in your hands.