There is something downright magical about Marqués de Tomares. These insanely well valued, beautifully aged wines capture everything we love about traditional Rioja: depth, soul, incredible aromatics, and that seamless balance between fruit, earth, and time. These are wines that remind you why Rioja became one of the great wine regions of the world in the first place.

Some are dark, brooding and wildly floral, spilling over with black fruit, violets, leather, cigar box and spice. Others are lifted, silky and impossibly elegant. And then there are the whites. Oh, the whites! Old vine Viura and Garnacha Blanca with the richness of mature white Rioja and the crystalline acidity and mineral filigree of great white Burgundy. These wines are seriously special.

The Montaña family's grape-growing history stretches back to 1886, with Don Román Montaña founding Marqués de Tomares in 1910. More than a century later, the family continues to champion the extraordinary vineyards of Rioja Alta, farming historic parcels across Haro, Fuenmayor and the surrounding villages.

These vineyards are the heartbeat of the wines. Old vines rooted in clay-limestone, iron-rich and alluvial soils, climbing to elevations approaching 700 meters. Careful farming, thoughtful blending and an almost stubborn devotion to traditional cellar aging allow the wines to develop incredible complexity without sacrificing freshness.

And here's where things get really exciting: Marqués de Tomares isn't rushing anything out the door. Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva wines spend years evolving in barrel and bottle, with rare older vintages still making their way into the market. Real cellar-aged Rioja, released when it's ready, at prices that frankly make very little sense.

The winery is still releasing small quantities of Reserva and Gran Reserva wines from remarkable back vintages, including 1996, 2000, 2001 and 2006.