El Coto de Rioja, located in Oyón, was founded in 1970 by a group of winemakers committed to creating a new type of Rioja. Its first bottling was released in 1975. Today, El Coto is the leading brand in Spain and among the top-selling Spanish wines in Europe. Five-hundred hectares of estate vineyards are located in La Rioja Alta’s village of Cenicero, near the east bank of the Najerilla River, a tributary of the Ebro. Facing northwest, vineyard soils are mostly ferric clay, sand and limestone, which contribute structure, power and elegant minerality, respectively, to the wines. The recently incorporated Los Almendros estate, shared with Barón de Ley, adds an additional 300 hectares of vineyards to the impressive estate holdings. Additional grapes are sourced from 2,000 hectares in Rioja Alavesa. Here, limestone, clay and stony soils make aromatic, expressive wines with great finesse. With the exception of “Coto Real” Reserva and "Coto de Imaz" Gran Reserva, all reds are aged in new American oak barrels, the classic Rioja marriage of wine and wood. Their seductive cigar box, spice and herbal aromas and silky red fruit flavors are the essence of fine traditional Rioja. - Winery
(all tempranillo aged in American oak): Ruby-red. Fresh red fruit and floral aromas show good energy and pick up a smoky nuance with air. Offers pliant cherry-vanilla and bitter chocolate flavors, with a tangy jolt of mint adding cut. Dusty tannins grip the finish, which shows good focus and persistence. Give this one a little air time. -- Josh Raynolds - Vinous 88 Points
Cherry, black tea, herbal and light vanilla flavors mingle in this traditional red. Supple, with enough tannins for grip. Spicy finish. Drink now. 19,584 cases imported. –TM - Wine Spectator Magazine 85 Points
The 2010 El Coto Crianza should be a crowd-pleaser, with its clean notes of fresh fruit, just enough spice and a hint of licorice and its polished palate with good freshness. It’s extremely easy to drink and a little simple. Drink now-2015. - Robert Parker 84 Points
