Bodegas Martínez Lacuesta is a historic family-owned winery founded in 1895 in Haro, one of Rioja’s most prestigious wine towns.

Its founder, Félix Martínez Lacuesta, was a lawyer, journalist and winemaker with a passion for improving Rioja quality, and under his leadership, the estate became recognised for fine Rioja wines shaped by French winemaking influence and careful ageing.

The winery sources grapes primarily from vineyards in Rioja Alta and surrounding villages, planted with classic Rioja varieties including Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan), as well as some Garnacha in other bottlings.

Martínez Lacuesta also produces Crianza and Reserva bottlings, maintaining a style rooted in tradition yet accessible in modern contexts. The winery remains active in Rioja’s history of quality wine production, with family members and modern management sustaining its legacy.

Rioja, Spain’s most celebrated wine region, lies in the north along the Ebro River, protected by the Cantabrian Mountains. Its climate is a unique blend of continental, Mediterranean, and Atlantic influences, providing warm summers, mild winters, and moderate rainfall—ideal for balanced ripening. The region’s diverse soils range from calcareous clay in Rioja Alavesa, alluvial soils in Rioja Oriental, to iron-rich clay in Rioja Alta, each contributing distinct character to the wines.

Tempranillo is Rioja’s flagship grape, producing elegant reds with vibrant fruit, spice, and ageing potential. Garnacha adds richness and warmth, while Graciano and Mazuelo contribute aromatic lift and structure. Rioja also crafts fresh whites from Viura (Macabeo), often blended with Malvasía and Garnacha Blanca. Rosé and sparkling Riojas are also becoming more popular.

Rioja is renowned for its ageing classifications—Joven, Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva—each offering increasing complexity from extended oak and bottle maturation. Traditional styles display soft red fruit, leather, vanilla, and spice from American oak, while modern interpretations highlight brighter fruit, subtle oak, and polished tannins.

The result is a spectrum of styles, from youthful, fruit-driven wines to mature, complex expressions capable of decades of aging. Rioja’s harmony of tradition, terroir, and innovation makes it one of the world’s most enduring and respected wine regions.

Tempranillo is one of the world’s great red grape varieties, most famously associated with Spain, where it is the backbone of iconic wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Its name comes from temprano, meaning "early," reflecting its tendency to ripen earlier than other Spanish red varieties. Tempranillo thrives in warm, sunny climates with cool nights, which help preserve acidity and balance in the grapes. It grows best in chalky or clay-limestone soils and is known for its thick skins, moderate acidity, and firm tannins.

In Spain, Tempranillo is often blended with Garnacha, Graciano, or Mazuelo and aged in oak to produce wines with depth, structure, and ageing potential. Classic styles exhibit flavours of red cherry, plum, tobacco, leather, vanilla, and dried herbs. In warmer regions like Toro, it produces fuller-bodied, powerful wines, while in cooler zones like Rioja Alta, it shows more finesse and elegance.

Outside Spain, Tempranillo is grown in Portugal (as Tinta Roriz or Aragonez), where it contributes to both table wines and Port. It's also gaining traction in New World regions such as Argentina, California, Texas, and Australia, where winemakers appreciate its versatility and food-friendly character. Tempranillo’s appeal lies in its balance of fruit, spice, and structure.

Graciano is a red grape variety native to northern Spain, particularly associated with Rioja, where it has been cultivated for centuries. Though traditionally used as a blending partner, it is increasingly valued in its own right for the structure, aroma and longevity it brings to wines. Graciano typically yields low quantities, which historically limited its popularity among growers, but its contribution to quality is significant. The grape thrives in warm, dry climates with good ventilation, as it is prone to disease pressure in more humid conditions. Its late ripening nature requires a long growing season, but when conditions are favourable it produces deeply coloured wines with firm acidity and pronounced tannins.

Beyond Rioja, Graciano is found in Navarra, Aragón and Catalonia, as well as in small plantings in France’s Languedoc. It has also travelled further afield, with notable examples in California, Australia and Argentina, where it is sometimes labelled as Morrastel or under local synonyms. The wines are typically intense and aromatic, showing notes of blackberry, plum, violet and spice, often accompanied by balsamic or herbal undertones. Graciano is prized in blends for adding freshness and perfume, but varietal bottlings reveal its full character: vibrant, structured reds with excellent ageing potential.

Mazuelo is a red grape variety also known as Carignan, grown in Spain’s Rioja region, where it is traditionally blended to add structure and freshness.

Mazuelo is valued for its naturally high acidity, firm tannins and deep colour, which make it particularly useful for balancing softer, more aromatic varieties such as Tempranillo.

Typical flavours include sour cherry, blackcurrant and plum, often accompanied by herbal, spicy and earthy notes. The grape is late ripening and thrives in warm, dry climates, although its acidity helps retain freshness even in hot conditions.

In Rioja, Mazuelo is most often seen in Reserva and Gran Reserva wines, where long ageing softens its structure and reveals savoury, nuanced character.

Tempranillo is one of the world’s great red grape varieties, most famously associated with Spain, where it is the backbone of iconic wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Its name comes from temprano, meaning "early," reflecting its tendency to ripen earlier than other Spanish red varieties. Tempranillo thrives in warm, sunny climates with cool nights, which help preserve acidity and balance in the grapes. It grows best in chalky or clay-limestone soils and is known for its thick skins, moderate acidity, and firm tannins.

In Spain, Tempranillo is often blended with Garnacha, Graciano, or Mazuelo and aged in oak to produce wines with depth, structure, and ageing potential. Classic styles exhibit flavours of red cherry, plum, tobacco, leather, vanilla, and dried herbs. In warmer regions like Toro, it produces fuller-bodied, powerful wines, while in cooler zones like Rioja Alta, it shows more finesse and elegance.

Outside Spain, Tempranillo is grown in Portugal (as Tinta Roriz or Aragonez), where it contributes to both table wines and Port. It's also gaining traction in New World regions such as Argentina, California, Texas, and Australia, where winemakers appreciate its versatility and food-friendly character. Tempranillo’s appeal lies in its balance of fruit, spice, and structure.

Graciano is a red grape variety native to northern Spain, particularly associated with Rioja, where it has been cultivated for centuries. Though traditionally used as a blending partner, it is increasingly valued in its own right for the structure, aroma and longevity it brings to wines. Graciano typically yields low quantities, which historically limited its popularity among growers, but its contribution to quality is significant. The grape thrives in warm, dry climates with good ventilation, as it is prone to disease pressure in more humid conditions. Its late ripening nature requires a long growing season, but when conditions are favourable it produces deeply coloured wines with firm acidity and pronounced tannins.

Beyond Rioja, Graciano is found in Navarra, Aragón and Catalonia, as well as in small plantings in France’s Languedoc. It has also travelled further afield, with notable examples in California, Australia and Argentina, where it is sometimes labelled as Morrastel or under local synonyms. The wines are typically intense and aromatic, showing notes of blackberry, plum, violet and spice, often accompanied by balsamic or herbal undertones. Graciano is prized in blends for adding freshness and perfume, but varietal bottlings reveal its full character: vibrant, structured reds with excellent ageing potential.

Mazuelo is a red grape variety also known as Carignan, grown in Spain’s Rioja region, where it is traditionally blended to add structure and freshness.

Mazuelo is valued for its naturally high acidity, firm tannins and deep colour, which make it particularly useful for balancing softer, more aromatic varieties such as Tempranillo.

Typical flavours include sour cherry, blackcurrant and plum, often accompanied by herbal, spicy and earthy notes. The grape is late ripening and thrives in warm, dry climates, although its acidity helps retain freshness even in hot conditions.

In Rioja, Mazuelo is most often seen in Reserva and Gran Reserva wines, where long ageing softens its structure and reveals savoury, nuanced character.

Tempranillo is one of the world’s great red grape varieties, most famously associated with Spain, where it is the backbone of iconic wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Its name comes from temprano, meaning "early," reflecting its tendency to ripen earlier than other Spanish red varieties. Tempranillo thrives in warm, sunny climates with cool nights, which help preserve acidity and balance in the grapes. It grows best in chalky or clay-limestone soils and is known for its thick skins, moderate acidity, and firm tannins.

In Spain, Tempranillo is often blended with Garnacha, Graciano, or Mazuelo and aged in oak to produce wines with depth, structure, and ageing potential. Classic styles exhibit flavours of red cherry, plum, tobacco, leather, vanilla, and dried herbs. In warmer regions like Toro, it produces fuller-bodied, powerful wines, while in cooler zones like Rioja Alta, it shows more finesse and elegance.

Outside Spain, Tempranillo is grown in Portugal (as Tinta Roriz or Aragonez), where it contributes to both table wines and Port. It's also gaining traction in New World regions such as Argentina, California, Texas, and Australia, where winemakers appreciate its versatility and food-friendly character. Tempranillo’s appeal lies in its balance of fruit, spice, and structure.

Graciano is a red grape variety native to northern Spain, particularly associated with Rioja, where it has been cultivated for centuries. Though traditionally used as a blending partner, it is increasingly valued in its own right for the structure, aroma and longevity it brings to wines. Graciano typically yields low quantities, which historically limited its popularity among growers, but its contribution to quality is significant. The grape thrives in warm, dry climates with good ventilation, as it is prone to disease pressure in more humid conditions. Its late ripening nature requires a long growing season, but when conditions are favourable it produces deeply coloured wines with firm acidity and pronounced tannins.

Beyond Rioja, Graciano is found in Navarra, Aragón and Catalonia, as well as in small plantings in France’s Languedoc. It has also travelled further afield, with notable examples in California, Australia and Argentina, where it is sometimes labelled as Morrastel or under local synonyms. The wines are typically intense and aromatic, showing notes of blackberry, plum, violet and spice, often accompanied by balsamic or herbal undertones. Graciano is prized in blends for adding freshness and perfume, but varietal bottlings reveal its full character: vibrant, structured reds with excellent ageing potential.

Mazuelo is a red grape variety also known as Carignan, grown in Spain’s Rioja region, where it is traditionally blended to add structure and freshness.

Mazuelo is valued for its naturally high acidity, firm tannins and deep colour, which make it particularly useful for balancing softer, more aromatic varieties such as Tempranillo.

Typical flavours include sour cherry, blackcurrant and plum, often accompanied by herbal, spicy and earthy notes. The grape is late ripening and thrives in warm, dry climates, although its acidity helps retain freshness even in hot conditions.

In Rioja, Mazuelo is most often seen in Reserva and Gran Reserva wines, where long ageing softens its structure and reveals savoury, nuanced character.