Finca Mónica best Crianza at popular price point

The Drinks Business has just released the results of its annual Rioja Masters competition and we’re delighted to announce that Finca Mónica Rioja Crianza 2015 – produced and sold exclusively through Long Wines – was the only Rioja Crianza priced under £10 to be awarded a gold medal, with an equivalent score of 93 points or more, with sister wine Finca Mónica Tempranillo 2017 winning bronze.

This is timely news as we are currently undergoing a project to overhaul the packaging of the Finca Mónica Rioja range to highlight its quality and the unique fruit-forward yet balanced character provided by Tempranillo grapes grown on the estate located on the Yerga mountain. Studio Pablo Guerrero – recent winner of a gold award in the German Design Awards 2019 and a Dieline Award in 2016 for the Armas de Guerra range from DO Bierzo – is working on the redesign to be launched at next year’s ProWein event.

The prestigious Rioja Masters competition from the UK-based trade title boasted four Masters of Wine and one Master Sommelier on its tasting panel: Patricia Stefanowicz MW, Patrick Schmitt MW, Simon Field MW, Matthieu Longère MS and Jonathan Pedley MW; along with Alex Canneti, Director of Off-trade at Berkmann Wine Cellars and José González Godoy, the Malaga-born sommelier at London’s Ametsa with Arzak instruction.

Journalist Patrick Schmitt MW commented: “Some of the best-value wines in the world are coming out of Rioja… This tasting proved that this flagship Spanish wine region is making delicious, balanced wines at all levels… Quite simply, Rioja is Spain’s most successful wine region because it makes wines that are so easy to drink.”

Named after a vine grower who kept an immaculate patch of vines, Finca Mónica Crianza is just one of the brands in the Long Wines range that offer outstanding value-for-money, with each and every wine selected among thousands for its quality and regularly benchmark tasted against the competition.