Gómez Cruzado Rioja El Predilecto is a complex, full-bodied Rioja with aromas of cherry and berry and caramelised undertones of liquorice. On the palate, enjoy a medley of plum, bramble and woodland flavours complemented by subtle tannins for a rich and long-lasting finish. 

Critic Review

JancisRobinson.com: 17Pts
Drinking Window: 2023 - 2028

"Classic rioja with juice and structure and finesse! So good. Who couldn’t like this wine so full of life? Interesting blend. Throbs"
Jancis Robinson MW

In a Special Report on Rioja for 2023 by Tim Atkin MW one of the foremost Wine Critics  Gómez Cruzado Rioja Predilecto was awarded 93Pts.  "El Predilecto is a new wine from the brilliant David Gonzalez, showcasing the unwooded delights of Garnacha and 35% Tempranillo from the cooler Alto Najerilla and Samaniego."

About the Producer

The Gómez Cruzado winery dates back to 1886 when Angel Gómez de Arteche started to produce and bottle his own wine in Haro, at the very heart of Rioja Alta. This was in the day when the wine trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bilbao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. The winery sits just 100m from the station to this day. Subsequently bought by Angel and Jesus Gomez Cruzado in 1916, and more recently by the Baños family, David González now heads up the team. He has been working with Gomez Cruzado for over 10 years, crafting wines from vineyards of old bush vines in the most elevated areas of Rioja Alta and Alavesa. He sources from almost a hundred different plots across 3 distinct regions: Alto Najerilla, Bajo Najerilla and Sierra Cantabria. Sierra Cantabria (Rioja Alta and Alavesa): Vines grow in poor, white, chalky-clay soils, on sunny slopes at the highest part of the sierra (up to 750m altitude) - where the Mediterranean and Atlantic climates meet. The area produces wines with freshness and elegance. Bajo Najerilla (Rioja Alta): in the triangle formed by the villages of Uruñuela, Cenicero and Torremontalbo, where the Najerilla river flows into the River Ebro. Tempranillo vines grown in alluvial soils at an average altitude of 500m – in a warmer, more temperate continental climate with a notable Mediterranean influence. Wines have high maturity and excellent ageing capacity. Alto Najerilla (Rioja Alta): Garnacha vines over 80 years old, planted in ferrous clay soil at around 750m altitude, on north-facing slopes near the Sierra de la Demanda. The continental climate confers strong fruitiness and marked acidity on the resulting wines.

Vineyard and Winery

Produced from grapes cultivated in the highest parts of the Ebro valley. Predominantly Garnacha (65%) from Alto Nejerilla, in the area between the towns of Badarán, Cordovin and Cárdenas where the vines grow in red ferrous clay soils; and Tempranillo (35%) from Samaniego, and the white limestone soils of Sierra Cantabria. Hand-harvested into 200kg crates with a selection of bunches at the winery. Garnacha and Tempranillo are destemmed and vinified separately. They undergo cold fermentation with native yeasts, and a short maceration. Then the two wines are assembled and refined in concrete for around 5 months.