There are words that are used so frequently they end up losing their impact. Special, for instance. Nowadays, everything is special: a dinner, a plan, even an ordinary Tuesday. However, in the world of wine — when truly used — it signifies something different. It signifies that something remarkable has occurred. It signifies that it will not be easily repeated. And that is precisely what happens with Viña Alberdi Selección Especial Reserva.
Here, "special" is not marketing; it is history. And moreover, doubly so.
On one hand, because La Rioja Alta is one of the few wineries in Rioja that takes nothing for granted. There are years when they outright decide not to produce certain categories if the harvest does not meet their standards. Just like that. And when something truly stands out, they highlight it. They mark it. They set it apart from the rest with that almost mythical tag: Selección Especial.
It is not a label used lightly. In fact, one must go back to 2001 — one of those vintages that enthusiasts still recall with a sparkle in their eyes — to witness the debut of this distinction in Viña Alberdi. More than 20 years had to pass for it to reappear. And that alone speaks volumes.
But there is more.
The 2021 vintage not only revives the "Selección Especial," but also enters the market as a Reserva, something unprecedented for this wine, which is usually sold as a crianza. Confusing? A bit. Interesting? Very much so. Because, beyond the categories, what is happening here is that Viña Alberdi is ascending to a higher echelon.
And it does so without losing its essence.
Because if anything defines this house — founded in 1890 in the heart of Rioja — it is its fidelity to a style. A style that does not heed trends and is characterised by its elegance, balance, and ageing potential. Vineyards located in Rodezno and Labastida, at altitudes of approximately 500-600 metres, with clay-limestone soils and vines over 40 years old.
In the winery, the process remains almost ritualistic. Manual harvest, double selection — in the field and on an optical sorting table — and natural fermentations. Then, the ageing for 24 months in American oak barrels, crafted by the winery itself. First new, then more used. And in between, one of those gestures rarely seen anymore: traditional rackings, performed by hand. No rush, no aggressive filtration, allowing the wine to refine itself.
All this results in a Viña Alberdi that is recognisable… yet goes a step further. More intense, more profound, more persistent. A wine that maintains the drinkability that made it famous, but with an extra layer of complexity that elevates it.
In summary: no, not all "specials" are the same. And this one, certainly, is not just another. It is one of those that appear when everything aligns — the vineyard, the climate, the timing, and the decisions — and when they return, they remind us why it is worth the wait.