Remírez de Ganuza Blanco Gran Reserva Olagar 2017 has been chosen by Master of Wine Tim Atkin as best white wine from Rioja in his 2025 Report. With 98 points, it is the highest-rated white wine in this year’s guide.
Other wines from the winery have obtained high scores; the 2017 red Reserva has 95 points and is part of the Wines of the Year, as is the 2017 Trasnocho, which also has 95 points.
The 2022 Blanco Reserva has 95 points, and the winery’s first 100% Tempranillo wine, UV, has obtained 96 points.
Best Rioja White 2025 for Blanco Gran Reserva Olagar 2017
The wine is a single-varietal Viura made with grapes from Olagar, a nearly 50-year-old, 1.45-hectare site at 600m altitude in San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Afterward, it rests in French oak barrels for 9 months, followed by another 7 years in the bottle, before going on sale in 2025. This wine has been made at Remírez de Ganuza since 2013.
Tim describes this 2017 vintage as follows:
“Coming from a 1.45-hectare plot that escaped the devastating frosts of 2017, Olagar is a high-altitude Viura that ranks among the best whites in Spain. Perfectly settled in new French oak, this wine has a chalky intensity, a subtle note of phosphorus, beeswax, citrus peel and tangerine flavors, a touch of fennel and salted almonds, and a lingering finish” Tim Atkin, Rioja Report 2025
An Exceptional Vineyard and Production for the Best Rioja 2025
In addition to its origin, an exceptional vineyard, the method of producing this wine has several particularities. Starting with the harvesting of the grapes, which is done with a meticulous selection, first in the field – where all the bunches that are not considered suitable are used for other purposes – and then on the selection table, where the best fruit is chosen grain by grain.
The extraction of the must is done through a rotor tank, which gently rotates, releasing the must from the grape and retaining skins and seeds inside. These are not discarded, but will be used in the production of red wines.
Blanco Gran Reserva Olagar, Compared to the Great White Wines of Burgundy
The first vintage that Remírez de Ganuza marketed of this wine is 2013, which was also chosen as the best white wine from Rioja in the 2022 Rioja Report by Tim Atkin MW. This wine was a commitment by the house to differentiate a plot that we have always considered exceptional.
«This world-class Viura comes from the Olagar vineyard, at 620 meters above sea level, in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, and deserves to be compared to a white Grand Cru from Burgundy, such is its intensity, complexity, and aging potential. Fermented in new French barrels, it has aromas of beeswax, is intense and complex, with flavors of aromatic spices, lemon butter and oak vanilla, and an exciting minerality, freshness, and length on the palate.»
Remírez de Ganuza Blanco Gran Reserva Olagar 2013
Best White Rioja Overall, Rioja Report 2022
Of the 2015 vintage, which was only marketed in magnum format, Tim Atkin MW said: “Fermented and aged on its lees in new French oak, it is the closest Rioja can get to a high-end white Burgundy, with aromas of nuts and bakery spices, lots of texture and weight, a chiseled elegance that would not be out of place in Puligny-Montrachet, and notes of fennel, honeysuckle, and toast.”
Fermentation in French Oak Barrels
The fermentation takes place in new 225 and 228-liter French oak barrels, where the wine remains for 9 months of aging. The lees work is carried out by manually turning the barrels, a system of the winery that replaces the traditional bâtonnage.
Exclusive Production of Blanco Gran Reserva Olagar
With a production of only 4,050 bottles and 350 magnums, this wine is one of the jewels of the house, which continues to accumulate professional recognition and from all the customers who enjoy it around the world.