Monopole Clásico Gran Reserva 2018 has been included by Decanter in its Wines of the Year 2025, a highly selective list featuring just 65 wines from around the world, chosen by the magazine’s editorial team from more than 2,900 wines that achieved 95 points or more over the course of the year.
With a score of 98 points, Monopole Clásico Gran Reserva 2018 ranks among the highest-rated wines in the entire selection. It is the highest-scoring Spanish wine included in the Wines of the Year 2025 and one of only eight Spanish wines to receive this distinction. It is also the top-rated wine among the five Rioja wines featured in this year’s list.
In the introductory text to the selection, Decanter notes that 2025 has been “the year to fall in love with Rioja all over again”, highlighting both the strength of the region’s long winemaking tradition and its capacity to evolve and remain at the forefront of the contemporary wine scene. Within this context, Rioja’s white wines take on a particularly prominent role, with explicit references to essential classics such as Monopole Clásico Gran Reserva, praised for their singularity and remarkable ageing potential.
This recognition further reinforces the unique character of Monopole Clásico Gran Reserva as an exceptional interpretation of a great white Rioja. A wine that is often imitated but never replicated, Monopole Clásico Gran Reserva continues to make history — a story that began in 1915 and that, more than a century later, continues to add memorable chapters such as this one, firmly securing its place among the world’s great white wines.