Reserva, term used in both Spain and Portugal to distinguish wines from a supposedly good vintage. In Portugal, a Reserva is a wine from a good vintage with an alcohol level at least half a per cent above the regional minimum. In Spain, a red wine labelled Reserva will have had at least three years’ ageing in cask and bottle, of which a year must be in oak cask (barricas are stipulated for Rioja). The wine may not be released until the fourth year after the harvest. Spanish white and rosé wines labelled Reserva must spend a total of at least two years in cask and bottle to qualify, with at least six months of this period in oak.
