Buying at the budget end while travelling is like throwing dice, but this Rioja Reserva (1 year in oak, 2 in bottle) delivered nicely at around 11€. Balanced, black/raspberry fruited, earthy, bit of spice, leather, gravelly tannin. If I find another bottle I’ll buy it! Ronda, Spain
Buying at the budget end while travelling is like throwing dice, but this Rioja Reserva (1 year in oak, 2 in bottle) delivered nicely at around 11€. Balanced, black/raspberry fruited, earthy, bit of spice, leather, gravelly tannin. If I find another bottle I’ll buy it! Ronda, Spain
Jul 7th, 2019
Inexpensive rioja reserva. 100% tempranillo I read. 12 months in french and american oak (the latter is much more present on the nose), 2 years in bottle. The nose shows vanilla, coconut, cherry and oak. Oak is actually the biggest marker here, borderline overwhelming. The palate is quite typical yet very simple. There is some acid, some cherry and other red berries, some tea notes, a good tannic wall in the rear which I suspect mostly comes from the barriques and which leaves a drying layer over a coconut, vanilla, meat seasoning cube, cherry finish. It's simple, it's textbooks, it's cheap but it does the trick for me.
Inexpensive rioja reserva. 100% tempranillo I read. 12 months in french and american oak (the latter is much more present on the nose), 2 years in bottle. The nose shows vanilla, coconut, cherry and oak. Oak is actually the biggest marker here, borderline overwhelming. The palate is quite typical yet very simple. There is some acid, some cherry and other red berries, some tea notes, a good tannic wall in the rear which I suspect mostly comes from the barriques and which leaves a drying layer over a coconut, vanilla, meat seasoning cube, cherry finish. It's simple, it's textbooks, it's cheap but it does the trick for me.
Feb 15th, 2025
Lovely deep colour, lots of fruit with oak and vanilla. Well worth the £12.95 from The Wine Society. A firm favourite and will stock up more of the 2018 vintage.
Lovely deep colour, lots of fruit with oak and vanilla. Well worth the £12.95 from The Wine Society. A firm favourite and will stock up more of the 2018 vintage.
Jan 7th, 2025
La Rioja, Spain
