Bodegas Martínez Lacuesta was founded in 1895 by Félix Martínez Lacuesta, a lawyer, journalist, and winemaker in Haro, Spain. His overarching quest was to improve the quality of Rioja wines, and under the tutelage of French winemakers, Bodegas Martínez Lacuesta became a benchmark of Rioja wines.

The Martinez Lacuesta Crianza is 100% Tempranillo from the winery’s estate vineyards in Haro, in the heart of the Rioja Alta region. Ripe fruit predominates: raspberries, cherries, strawberries over balsamic, vanilla, toasted caramel, and sweet mint. Elegance, finesse and subtlety are trademarks of this refined wine. Natural processes have driven the winery since its founding — hand-picking, natural fermentation and manual racking. Aged for two years in American oak and decanted four times using a traditional gravity method, the subsequent ageing in bottles is one of the keys to the production of these classic wines. A fresh and authentic wine is the result.

“Dried herbs, cherries, red plums and touches of iron, oyster sauce and white pepper. Juicy and ripe, with tight, fine-grained tannins and a long, structured finish. Pretty full yet refined and complete. Goes on for quite a while. Drink or hold”
93 points, Zekun Shuai, James Suckling, September 2024

“A step up from the basic Crianza, this impressive Tempranillo uses grapes from the area around Haro. Curated in American and 10% French oak, it’s a serious, structured, black- fruited style with lively underlying acidity, subtle wood spices and a mineral core. 2025-30”
92 points, Tim Atkin MW Rioja Special Report 2025