Home › Wine Notes › Marqués de Riscal (Herederos del Marqués de Riscal, Elciego)
Marqués de Riscal, Reserva 2014
RedSpain2014
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2020-03-15 · Published 2026-09-23 · Updated 2026-09-23
At a glance
In one line
2.0/5 — lower than Vivino's 4.1 average · world avg price US$22 · Founded in 1858, Marqués de Riscal is one of Rioja's oldest bodegas, known for the Bordeaux techniques it imported early on and the gold wire mesh it wrapped around bottles to stop counterfeiters.
No listed critic score for the 2014 vintage. For reference, the 2021 vintage of the same Reserva scored 92 from Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling, and 90 from Wine Spectator, per wine.com (checked Sept 2026) — not directly comparable across vintages.
Market note: The 2014 vintage is largely sold out through overseas retail (wine.com listed it at $18.99, out of stock, as of Sept 2026).
What this wine is
Marqués de Riscal is one of Rioja's oldest bodegas. In 1858, Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga, the 6th Marquess of Riscal, consolidated several wineries he'd inherited in Elciego into a house under his own name. He had studied winemaking in Bordeaux as a young man and brought in Jean Pineau, a cellar master from Château Lanessan, to introduce French techniques — importing 9,000 vine cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Pinot Noir from France to experiment alongside the native Tempranillo and Graciano. That French oak-ageing tradition became the root of today's Reserva and Gran Reserva classifications.
Riscal's wines earned such a reputation that King Alfonso XII of Spain is said to have favored them — and the more popular they became, the more counterfeits appeared. To stop this, Hurtado devised the gold wire mesh wrapped around the bottleneck: once removed, it could never be reattached, which made it impossible to quietly pull the cork and refill the bottle with something else. The idea spread across Rioja's top producers until the mesh itself became a signal of quality Rioja. Anti-counterfeiting technology has since moved on to microchips, but the mesh survives as a mark of tradition and prestige.
In 2006, a hotel designed by Frank Gehry opened on the Elciego winery grounds, expanding it into the "City of Wine" complex — the same architect behind the Guggenheim Bilbao, his titanium roof now rippling above the vineyards. A house with more than 150 years of history reintroduced itself as a symbol of contemporary architecture.
What the world says
This Reserva 2014 has been rated by 26,462 people on Vivino, averaging 4.1 (262,696 ratings for the label overall, also 4.1). No critic score is on file — for reference, the 2021 vintage of the same Reserva scored 92 from Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling, and 90 from Wine Spectator, per wine.com, though that's a different vintage and not directly comparable.
The flavor keywords lead with an oak group — oak, vanilla, tobacco — at 10,652 mentions, followed by an earthy leather-and-smoke group (5,037) and black fruit like plum and blackberry (4,688). Structure: acidity 3.7/5, intensity 3.9, tannin 3.7 — a full-bodied, acid-forward Reserva in the classic Rioja mold.
"Deep, rich nose of oak and vanilla. Taste of cherry and rhubarb on the palate and clean dry finish with no aftertaste." — Vivino review, May 2020, 4.5 stars
"Great Spanish, soft tannins, long complex finish. Excellent wine, one of my favorites." — Vivino review, Aug 2021, 4.5 stars
My score of 2.0 sits 2.1 points below that community average — one of the widest gaps of any wine I've covered in this magazine. But as the note below shows, that gap probably says more about the evening than about the wine itself.
How I drank it
"Maybe it's because I was too full... handling was fine... but all I could smell was alcohol, not mint. I should try this again sometime." 15 March 2020, 2.0 stars. Read literally, I'd already diagnosed the low score myself — not a flaw in the wine, but the fact that I was too full to taste anything past the alcohol. Noting separately that "handling was fine" means there was nothing wrong with how it was served or decanted, and "I should try this again" reads less like a final verdict on the wine and more like a note-to-self not to let this score stand as the last word.
That same evening I also opened Elvio Cogno Barolo Cascina Nuova 2013, which I scored 4.0 — two full points above this Riscal. Drinking two bottles in one sitting, whichever came second, or whichever met a fuller stomach, was always going to be at a disadvantage. Across my whole Vivino log, only a handful of wines sit at or below 2.0: this Riscal, Graham's Six Grapes Reserve Port (1.0), Louis Jadot Bouzeron (1.0), Antinori's Franciacorta (1.5), and Château Beneyt Bordeaux Blanc (2.0). So it isn't literally the lowest score on this site — but it's in rare company. And unlike some of those other low scores, this one doesn't read as a flaw in the wine. It reads as an ordinary bottle met on an off night. I haven't logged a re-tasting yet.
Where this wine shows up
As royal favor made the wine popular, counterfeits multiplied. The founder's solution — a gold wire mesh that could never be reattached once removed — spread across Rioja's top producers and became a symbol of quality Rioja.
VinePair — Why Rioja Bottles Are Wrapped In Gold Wire · Wikipedia — Bodegas Marqués de Riscal
Artwork and stills are not reproduced for copyright reasons; scenes are summarised.
Vivino community data
2014 vintage rating distribution (26462 ratings, average 4.1)
| 5★ | 4176 (16%) | |
| 4★ | 17095 (65%) | |
| 3★ | 4711 (18%) | |
| 2★ | 333 (1%) | |
| 1★ | 147 (1%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Oak | 10652 | oak 4145 · vanilla 2610 · tobacco 1656 · chocolate 676 · cedar 336 |
| Earth | 5037 | leather 2025 · earthy 1129 · smoke 678 · balsamic 341 · mushroom 174 |
| Black fruit | 4688 | plum 1321 · blackberry 1049 · dark fruit 592 · black fruit 410 · black cherry 372 |
| Red fruit | 3591 | cherry 1956 · red fruit 630 · raspberry 285 · strawberry 275 · red cherry 134 |
| Spices | 1726 | pepper 738 · licorice 336 · cinnamon 238 · savory 61 · mint 56 |
| Microbio | 495 | cheese 317 · cream 120 · oil 19 · banana 14 · yeast 9 |
| Dried fruit | 462 | prune 175 · raisin 112 · fig 85 · dried fruit 60 · black raisin 10 |
Structure: Acidity 3.7/5 · Intensity 3.9/5 · Tannin 3.7/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 262696 ratings, average 4.1)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.1 | 38 |
| 2023 | 4.1 | 100 |
| 2022 | 3.9 | 143 |
| 2021 | 4.1 | 6063 |
| 2020 | 4.1 | 9806 |
| 2019 | 4.2 | 16463 |
| 2018 | 4.1 | 15684 |
| 2017 | 4.1 | 13648 |
My original note (Vivino, 2020-03-15)
“너무 배가 불러서 그런가.. 핸들링 잘됬는데.. 민트가아닌 알코올 냄세만 맡으면서 먹음.. 다음에 다시 시도 해봐야겠다 ㅜㅜ”
See other wines Daniel scored 2.0 →
Read next
Swipe for more →
Tasted the same dayElvio Cogno, Barolo Cascina Nuova 2013
Italy · Piedmont★★★★☆
Similar styleRamos-Paul, Tinto 2006
Spain · Málaga★★★★☆
Similar styleCasa Rojo 'MMM Macho Man Monastrell' Jumilla 2017
Spain · Jumilla★★★☆☆
Similar styleJuan Gil Blue Label '18 Meses' Jumilla 2017
Spain · Jumilla★★★☆☆
Highly rated by DanielAntinori, Tenuta Tignanello 'Solaia' 2012
Italy · Tuscany★★★★★
Highly rated by DanielChâteau Cheval Blanc, Le Petit Cheval 2004
France · Bordeaux★★★★★
Highly rated by DanielKrug, Grande Cuvée (NV)
France · Champagne★★★★★
Highly rated by DanielDom Pérignon Vintage 2008
France · Champagne★★★★★
Highly rated by DanielWilliam Hill Central Coast Chardonnay 2015
United States · Central Coast★★★★★Highly rated by DanielOrin Swift, Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
United States · Napa★★★★½
Highly rated by DanielSeña 2012
Chile★★★★½
Highly rated by DanielAntinori, Castello della Sala 'Cervaro della Sala' 2016
Italy★★★★½Explore
Daniel's 5-star wines
Only the wines Daniel scored a perfect 5
→
Wines in manga, film and history
Bottles that show up in manga, film and history
→
Wines you can buy at the supermarket
Wines actually bought at the supermarket
→Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Marqués de Riscal Reserva 2014?
A 100% Tempranillo red from Rioja Alavesa, Spain, aged in French oak and released at 14% ABV. Vivino: 26,462 ratings averaging 4.1; no listed critic score.
How much does it cost?
World average price: to be confirmed via Wine-Searcher (US$22 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026)). The 2014 vintage is largely sold out through overseas retail (wine.com listed it at $18.99, out of stock, as of Sept 2026).
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino users suggest beef, lamb, veal and poultry. With intensity at 3.9/5 and a full body, it works well with grilled red meat.
What's the gold wire mesh on the bottleneck?
Founder Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga devised it in 1858 to stop counterfeiting. Once removed, it can never be reattached, making it impossible to quietly pull the cork and refill the bottle. The idea spread across Rioja's top producers until the mesh itself became a mark of a quality Rioja.
Links & sources
View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher
- Vivino — wine page and community data
- Wikipedia — Bodegas Marqués de Riscal
- VinePair — Why Rioja Bottles Are Wrapped In Gold Wire
- wine.com — Marques de Riscal Rioja Reserva 2014 product page
Read next
Swipe for more →
Tasted the same dayElvio Cogno, Barolo Cascina Nuova 2013
Italy · Piedmont★★★★☆Similar styleRamos-Paul, Tinto 2006
Spain · Málaga★★★★☆Similar styleCasa Rojo 'MMM Macho Man Monastrell' Jumilla 2017
Spain · Jumilla★★★☆☆Highly rated by DanielAntinori, Tenuta Tignanello 'Solaia' 2012
Italy · Tuscany★★★★★Highly rated by DanielChâteau Cheval Blanc, Le Petit Cheval 2004
France · Bordeaux★★★★★Highly rated by Daniel