If France has Bordeaux and Burgundy, and Italy raises its profile with Tuscany and Piedmont as wine regions, Spain has Rioja. Rioja is the first region mentioned when talking about Spanish wine. Its winegrowing history dates back to ancient Rome, but until the mid-19th century, Rioja wine was closer to a drink consumed mainly within the region. That was because long-distance transport and storage were not easy.
To send wine far, winemaking and aging techniques that can prevent oxidation and spoilage, a stable distribution network, and consolidation with external markets were needed. The turning point that laid the foundation for Rioja to become a truly global region was its mid-19th century exchanges with Bordeaux in France.
In the 1850s, powdery mildew struck French vineyards, and around 1869, phylloxera damage began to appear near Bordeaux. As the supply of French wine wavered, Bordeaux merchants and winemakers began looking for regions that were geographically close and had quality potential. The place that drew attention then was Rioja in northern Spain. Bordeaux-style winemaking techniques and commercial distribution methods came into Rioja, and practices such as grape sorting and destemming, aging in oak barrels, and bottle aging spread.
The railroad also accelerated Rioja's growth. In the late 19th century, as the rail network was connected with Haro at its center, Rioja wine could move more quickly to northern Spanish ports and the French market. As wine trade between France and Spain became active, Rioja became home to venerable wineries whose names remain to this day. Aging in French-style 225-liter barriques, blending centered on the native Tempranillo variety, and the soft texture achieved through bottle aging became representative of Rioja wine after this period.
Spain has only two regions that hold the highest designation in the appellation classification, the DOCa, and one of them is Rioja. According to the 2024 annual summary report published last year by the Rioja DOCa Control Board, Rioja has 66,638 hectares of registered vineyards, 751 wineries, and 13,078 grape growers. Sales in 2024 were 328.46 million bottles, and exports reached 135 countries. Of total sales, 41.2% were sold outside Spain.
Within Rioja's long history, Marqués de Cáceres is a relatively young winery. It was founded in 1970. It is regarded as a producer that presented an emphasized modern Rioja style.
The person who founded the winery is Enrique Forner. The Forner family had been producing, selling, and exporting wine in the Valencia region of Spain since 1920. After the Spanish Civil War, Enrique Forner moved to France, founded wineries in the Rhône and the Loire in 1952, and returned to Spain in 1968.
Influenced by Bordeaux oenologist Émile Peynaud, he incorporated vineyard management, grape sorting, low-temperature fermentation, and the use of French oak into Rioja. While some Rioja wines at the time relied on oxidative flavors and wood aromas from extended oak aging, Enrique Forner chose a method that preserved Tempranillo's fruit and vibrancy while imparting structure through oak and bottle aging. This is why Marqués de Cáceres is regarded as a producer that showed a more modern and international sensibility within the traditional framework of Rioja.
The winery is currently led by Enrique Forner's daughter, Cristina Forner.
Marqués de Cáceres Crianza shows this winery's style in the most everyday and clear way. Crianza is a legally regulated aging category in Rioja. To receive the Crianza category, red wine must be aged for at least two years, of which at least one year must be in 225-liter oak barrels.
Marqués de Cáceres Crianza primarily uses grapes grown on clay-limestone soils. All grapes are harvested by hand and destemmed. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. It macerates with the skins for up to 20 days to draw out color, aroma, and mid-palate density. Malolactic fermentation is carried out separately in new oak barrels and stainless steel tanks depending on the characteristics of the vineyards and plots.
Aging takes place for one year in a ratio of 60% French oak barrels and 40% American oak barrels. It is then released after at least one year of bottle aging at the winery.
In the glass, it shows a medium-intensity ruby color. On the nose, balsamic nuances and ripe black fruit aromas are evident, followed by gentle spice, delicate oak, and a subtle licorice note. On the palate, generous volume and a caressing texture stand out. The finish leaves a fresh impression of menthol and balsamic tones.
Marqués de Cáceres Crianza has ranked No. 1 five times over the past six years in the U.S. restaurant sales ranking of Spanish wines surveyed by Wine & Spirits. It won the grand prize in the Old World red wine institutional sector at the 2026 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards. The domestic importer is Lotte Chilsung Beverage.