La Rioja Alta was started in 1890 by five families of winemakers from the Basque and Rioja regions. They founded a cooperative called Sociedad Vinicola de La Rioja. Today descendants of the same five families run the winery, which includes nearly 1,000 vineyard acres. The estate grows primarily Tempranillo, along with lesser quantities of Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. The wines are all blends, and usually none are single-vineyard wines. Reviewers are invariably impressed with the wines, often awarding points in the mid- to high-90s, and the estate is considered in the league of classic Rioja producers along with its neighbors Lopez de Heredia and Muga. Wine Advocate’s Neal Martin has written that “I have admired (La Rioja Alta’s) wines form many years, Rioja that speaks so eloquently and with such clarity of place…. Quite simply, these are some of the finest Riojas that can grace your cellar….”