Why it matters
The producer
Bodegas Navajas sits in Navarrete, a small town on the western edge of Rioja Alta, and has been producing wine under the Navajas family ownership since 1983, having inherited the bodega and its 65-year history when they took over Bodegas Arjona. The bodega does not depend on estate vineyards. Instead, it works with a network of approximately 350 local grower partners who supply contracted fruit each harvest. At 1.8 million bottles a year, Navajas operates at a scale that most small Rioja estates cannot match, and the consistency of its house style across that volume is the central achievement.
The range follows the classic Rioja red ladder: Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva. American oak runs through all three levels, a deliberate commitment to the traditional Rioja flavour profile at a moment when many newer producers in the appellation have moved toward French oak and earlier-release styles.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Rioja Alta is the westernmost sub-zone of the DOCa Rioja appellation in northern Spain, sitting between the Ebro river and the Sierra de la Demanda foothills. Atlantic weather systems push inland from the Bay of Biscay, bringing rainfall and moderating summer temperatures. The result, compared with the drier and hotter Rioja Baja to the east, is a longer growing season with higher natural acidity in the fruit.
Navarrete stands on a plateau above the Ebro. The elevation and Atlantic influence suit Tempranillo: the grape ripens here with enough warmth for full red fruit but retains the acidity that lets it carry extended oak aging without collapsing into softness. The Rioja Alta address on the label is a real indicator of style, and Navajas's wines carry those cooler, firmer characteristics through the whole range.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Navajas does not farm its own estate vineyards. Growers across Rioja Alta supply the fruit under long-standing contractual relationships, and those relationships number around 350 partners. The sourcing model is traditional in Rioja: many of the appellation's larger houses have worked this way for generations, buying from small family-farmed plots rather than consolidating ownership.
In the cellar, American oak barrels are the consistent choice across the entire red range. American oak contributes vanilla, coconut, and a characteristic dill note that integrates with Tempranillo's cherry and plum fruit over time. The Crianza spends 15 months in barrel before bottle aging completes the legal minimum. The Reserva extends both barrel and bottle time before release, softening tannin and allowing the oak character to fold into the fruit. The Gran Reserva requires at minimum 18 months in barrel and 36 months in bottle under Rioja law.
Wines to know
The range in view
The Crianza Tinto is a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha, aged 15 months in American oak barrels. Tempranillo supplies the cherry-red fruit core and the structural tannin; Garnacha rounds the mid-palate and adds a warm, fleshy note. The oak contributes vanilla and light spice. The wine is released in its third year after harvest and drinks with a soft, approachable character.
The Reserva Tinto shifts the blend to 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, and 5% Mazuelo. Mazuelo (known as Carignan in France and the rest of Spain) brings deeper colour, firmer acidity, and a darker fruit character. The Reserva 2017 shows a deep ruby with ripe red fruit on the nose, layered with spice and herbal nuance. Extended barrel and bottle time gives the American oak vanilla more time to integrate, and the tannin softens to a rounder shape on the finish.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
The Crianza Tinto is the right first bottle from Navajas. It is Tempranillo and Garnacha aged 15 months in American oak. In the glass it is cherry-fruited and vanilla-warm, with a soft mid-palate and a clean oak-spiced finish. The tannin is present but approachable.