1 items £8.95
Sierra Cantabria Crianza is made predominantly from Tempranillo grown in carefully selected vineyards across Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta. It combines vibrant blackberry and cherry fruit with subtle oak, fresh acidity and beautifully refined tannins.
Elegant, balanced and approachable, it reflects Sierra Cantabria's belief that great wine begins in the vineyard, with ageing used to enhance rather than overshadow the fruit.
If you're discovering Sierra Cantabria for the first time, this beautifully crafted Crianza is the perfect introduction, capturing the freshness, purity and harmony that define the producer's distinctive style.
Sierra Cantabria Crianza has the ripe fruit and gentle oak many people look for in Rioja, but what makes it especially appealing is its freshness. Black cherry, blackberry and redcurrant flavours remain clear and lively, while vanilla, cocoa and sweet spice add complexity without taking control of the wine.
It is smooth enough to enjoy without food, structured enough for the dinner table and expressive enough to introduce the character of Sierra Cantabria. This is Crianza with polish and personality: approachable from the first glass, yet with more than enough detail to hold your interest.
Appearance: Deep ruby red with youthful brightness and subtle garnet tones towards the rim.
Nose: Expressive aromas of black cherry, blackberry and redcurrant are joined by violet, sweet spice and a gentle savoury note. Ageing brings touches of vanilla, cocoa, toast and a light roasted character, but the fruit remains the principal voice.
Palate: Fresh, rounded and beautifully balanced. Ripe cherry and dark berry fruit give the wine generosity, while lively acidity keeps it energetic. The tannins are fine, ripe and velvety, with restrained oak contributing texture and flavours of vanilla, cocoa and spice.
Finish: Smooth and persistent, leaving ripe fruit, gentle toast and sweet spice behind without becoming heavy.
Every producer needs a wine that clearly introduces its way of thinking. Sierra Cantabria Crianza fulfils that role by showing that the character of Rioja is established in the vineyard rather than created through prolonged ageing.
The wine spends enough time in barrel to gain shape, texture and complexity, but not so long that maturation disguises the Tempranillo fruit. Its purpose is not to imitate Reserva on a smaller scale. It offers a different expression: brighter, more immediate and closer to the natural energy of the vineyard.
This gives the Crianza an identity of its own. It allows you to experience Sierra Cantabria before time becomes a dominant influence, making it both a complete wine in its own right and a natural starting point for exploring the producer's wider range.
Sierra Cantabria is first and foremost a family of grape growers. Five generations of the Eguren family have worked in the vineyards of the Riojan Sonsierra, combining knowledge passed down since 1870 with modern viticulture and winemaking.
The Crianza inherits the family's vineyard-first approach. The aim is to preserve the identity and freshness of Tempranillo, allowing oak to support the fruit rather than impose a separate character upon it. That balance between ripeness, structure, elegance and freshness is one of the defining features of the Sierra Cantabria style.
You can learn more about the family, its vineyards and its approach in our Sierra Cantabria producer guide.
Choose this wine if you enjoy Rioja where ripe fruit remains at the centre of the experience. It will particularly appeal if you like smooth Tempranillo, fresh acidity, fine tannins and oak flavours that are noticeable but restrained.
It is also an excellent choice when you want one bottle to cover several possibilities. It feels relaxed enough for an informal evening, but its balance and craftsmanship allow it to sit comfortably beside a more considered meal.
You may prefer a Reserva or Gran Reserva when you are specifically looking for greater maturity, softer fruit and more developed flavours of cedar, leather, tobacco or dried spice. Our guide to Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva explains the differences and helps you choose the Rioja style most likely to suit you.
Sierra Cantabria is based in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, an important wine-growing area on the northern side of the River Ebro. The Eguren family's involvement with vines stretches back five generations, while the Sierra Cantabria name was established by Guillermo Eguren in 1957.
Today the family remains closely involved in both the vineyards and winery. Its wines combine a deep respect for Rioja tradition with a precise, fruit-focused approach that has helped Sierra Cantabria earn an international reputation while retaining a clear sense of origin.
Rather than relying on maturation alone to define its wines, the producer seeks to express the individual character of the fruit. This is why freshness remains evident throughout the range, from the immediacy of Crianza to the greater complexity of Reserva and Gran Reserva.
The Tempranillo is grown in the Riojan Sonsierra, where vineyards benefit from the shelter of the Sierra Cantabria mountain range and favourable exposure towards the Ebro valley. These conditions help the grapes achieve ripeness while preserving the acidity needed for balance and longevity.
Sierra Cantabria practises integrated viticulture with minimal intervention. The vineyards are managed without herbicides or systemic treatments, organic fertilisers are used, and work is carried out with respect for the natural rhythms of the vines.
This care matters because the Crianza depends upon fruit quality rather than heavy extraction or dominant oak. Healthy, expressive grapes provide the cherry, blackberry and floral character that remains visible after maturation.
Sierra Cantabria Crianza is made from 100% Tempranillo using traditional vinification. The grapes are completely destemmed before fermentation, allowing the winery to extract colour, flavour and structure while retaining the wine's naturally smooth character.
It is matured for 14 months in Bordeaux-style barrels made from French and American oak. No barrel is used for more than three wines, helping the oak contribute vanilla, spice, cocoa and gentle toast without overwhelming the fruit.
The result demonstrates how thoughtful ageing can refine a wine without changing its essential personality. The barrel gives the Crianza greater texture and complexity, while the Tempranillo retains its freshness, fragrance and sense of place.
This is a versatile food wine whose fruit, acidity and moderate tannins make it easy to place at the table. It is particularly good with roast or grilled lamb, beef, pork, chorizo, barbecued sausages and burgers.
Its ripe fruit also works well with tomato-based pasta, pizza, meatballs and slow-cooked dishes containing paprika, rosemary or thyme. For a vegetarian pairing, try grilled peppers, aubergine, mushrooms or lentil dishes. Manchego and other firm, mature cheeses are equally dependable partners.
For more ideas, including how different Rioja styles work with particular dishes, visit our Rioja Food Pairing Guide.
Serve at approximately 16–18°C. Modern centrally heated rooms are often warmer than this, so twenty minutes in the fridge before opening can make the fruit taste fresher and the wine feel more balanced.
The wine can be enjoyed immediately after opening, although fifteen to thirty minutes in a decanter or generous wine glass will allow the berry fruit, floral notes and gentle spice to become more expressive.
Sierra Cantabria Crianza is made primarily to be enjoyed while its fruit remains vibrant. It can develop for several years in suitable storage, gaining softer tannins and more savoury character, but there is no need to postpone the pleasure: its freshness is an essential part of what the wine is intended to offer.
One of the most useful ways to understand a Rioja producer is to begin with its Crianza. Because the fruit remains prominent and the influence of time is less developed, Crianza often provides the clearest view of the winery's underlying style.
Here, that view is particularly revealing. Sierra Cantabria does not use oak to manufacture character; it uses maturation to frame character already present in the fruit. Taste the Crianza first and the Reserva and Gran Reserva become easier to understand as later expressions of the same vineyard-led approach.
Sierra Cantabria Crianza succeeds because nothing feels exaggerated. The fruit is ripe but fresh, the tannins are smooth but retain structure, and the oak is clearly present without obscuring the wine beneath it.
It offers the accessibility people expect from a good Crianza, together with the precision and individuality of a highly respected producer. For customers discovering Sierra Cantabria, it is the natural place to start; for established Rioja drinkers, it is a polished, versatile wine that deserves to be chosen on its own merits.
If this Crianza appeals to you, the rest of the range allows you to see how Sierra Cantabria's style develops as maturation plays a greater role. The wines remain connected by their freshness and vineyard character, but each offers a different reason to choose it.
Visit our Sierra Cantabria collection to browse the producer's wines, or read our Sierra Cantabria producer guide to discover the family and ideas behind them.
If you are still deciding which Rioja style best suits your taste or occasion, our Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva guide will help you choose with confidence.
We can ship your order to all UK mainland addresses, usually on a next day delivery.
Our shipping fee is typically £5.95 for a single item order, and a maximum of £7.50 for all other orders. Delivery fees are calculated during check-out.
If your delivery address is local, delivery is free, delivered on the same day you order. Alternatively, you can collect it from our shop.
Click here for cut off times and full details of our courier service.
It is an offence for a person under the age of 18 to buy or attempt to buy alcohol. By making a purchase, you acknowledge that you are 18 years of age or over.