Rioja made essentially in the old style, with a
classic red berry/forest floor nose coming through the upfront vanilla. (24
months in a mix of French and US oak.) There’s a prominent yoghurty-malolactic
character. Not hugely acidic, but as it is relatively lightly-bodied as Rioja
goes, the acid stands out a little more.
Quite good heritage to this wine, made in Rioja
Alavesa (which tends to produce slightly heavier bodied wines, and more wines
in the heavier, modern Rioja style) from 100% Tempranillo (in latter times the
most important Rioja grape variety, though it was not always so) with a large
percentage coming from old vines.
I found this disappointing when I opened it,
slightly watery and without the full depth of flavour I’d expect from some
Riojas of the same age and level. To my surprise, though, it beefed up over the
next couple of evenings as I slowly finished it, suggesting a wine still
wanting a bit of cellar time.
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