Why this wine matters
More than a famous label.
The wine comes from the Peñaescalera parcel at Baños de Ebro, planted in 1981. The name recalls the producer’s grandfather, who was considered “crazy” for buying the difficult, stony plot.
Artuke · Rioja Alavesa
Finca de los Locos
Rioja · dark cherry · herbs · spice · fresh · fine tannin
Finca de los Locos is a modern Rioja with a memorable family story and a much more site-driven identity than the broad Reserva-versus-Crianza categories many drinkers know.
Country
Spain
Region
Rioja Alavesa
Appellation
Rioja DOCa
Grapes
Tempranillo · Graciano · Viura
Style
Red
Realistic spend
£21–£32
Budget band: £20–£35
Best moments
birthdayanniversarydinner partygifttasting night
A memorable Rioja for birthdays and gifts, helped by its strong story and distinctive name.
How it is made
The decisions behind the style.
The 2024 is built around Tempranillo with Graciano and a small amount of Viura. Uncrushed grapes ferment with indigenous yeasts before the wine spends about 12 months in large oak vats.
What does it taste like?
The shape of the wine.
Wild berries, cherry and plum meet herbs and balsamic spice. The palate is medium-full, fresh and balanced, with very fine tannins rather than obvious oak sweetness.
Body4/5
Acidity4/5
Tannin4/5
Sweetness0/5
Oak influence2/5
Freshness4/5
Aroma5/5
Serve it well
Serve around 15–17°C and give it some air in a large glass.
If this wine were human…
The charismatic storyteller
If Finca de los Locos were human, it would be has a long story, a good opening line and enough energy to keep both moving.
substantialsharp-mindedstrong-willedunfussy
Does any of this sound suspiciously familiar?
Has a long story, a good opening line and enough energy to keep both moving. You like a little ceremony, but have no interest in ceremony for its own sake.
At dinner, you would rather have four good conversations than forty introductions. Secretly, you are much more sentimental than your taste in labels would suggest.
In short: has a long story, a good opening line and enough energy to keep both moving. rioja energy, translated into a person.
Purely for fun — this is the wine’s fictional personality, not a psychological reading of yours.
What to eat with it
And the cheese?
No dead ends.
Start with this wine and move straight into cheese, or build a whole tasting around it.
Keep exploring
There are 365 more wines where this came from.
Research sources
This profile is researched against producer or similarly authoritative material. Vintage-specific details are kept separate from the permanent wine identity.