Wine in Black 'rioja te quiero'-pakket

Always a good value Crianza, this is a cuvée of Tempranillo and 10% Mazuelo and Graciano from a range of vineyards in the Rioja Alta sub-region. Marked by its 80% American oak, it has appealing aromas of sweet spices and desiccated coconut, vibrant acidity and layers of bramble and black cherry.

Lovely finesse and balance to this red, with berries, light vanilla and dried flowers. Medium body, creamy tannins and a bright finish.

Youthful it may be for a Reserva, but this is a very well-balanced, forward expression of
Tempranillo with 15% Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. Aged in a 70/30 mix of American
and French oak, it's bright and sweet, with chalky undertones and succulent raspberry and
red cherry fruit.

Het wijnhuis dateert uit de tijd dat de regio Rioja een ongekende opmars doormaakte – mede dankzij de intensieve uitwisseling met Frankrijk. Daar kwam Charles Serres vandaan, die zich later Carlos noemde en zijn bodega in Haro oprichtte. De stijl van zijn 'Gran Reserva' is nog steeds een schoolvoorbeeld van een typische rioja.

The very classical 2016 Gran Reserva comes with a very traditional label (they seem to have changed the image of most wines), including the golden wire net. It was produced with a selection of grapes from their El Estanque estate in Haro, a canonical 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. It fermented in stainless steel and matured in French and American oak barrels for two years and was kept in bottle for another three. It has a textbook spicy nose with sweet spices, smoke and toast, berry fruit and herbs, a touch of forest floor and truffles, with a moderate 13.5% alcohol and balancing freshness. 47,200 bottles produced. It was bottled in 2021.

The scent of black cherry, tobacco leaf and chocolate sets the scene for flavors of red currant, raspberry, mocha, cherry pipe tobacco and a touch of eucalyptus. Sinewy tannins are offset by brilliant acidity that endures on the tongue and gums.

Álvaro Palacios behoorde ooit tot een kleine groep pioniers die Priorat herontdekte in de jaren 90 van de vorige eeuw. Nadat zijn wijnen wereldfaam hadden verworven, vroeg zijn familie uit Rioja of hij het familiewijnhuis daar wilde overnemen. De resultaten spreken voor zich.

Sumptuous aromas of plump cherries, leading into equally succulent fruits on the palate. Fresh acidity arrives lightly, and then grows, leading to a long taut finish, with the sligh echo of oak. Very young now, it will give much pleasure as it matures. A fine achievement: 100ha of certified organic vineyard, producing wines in quantity (some 500,000 bottles) and quality. Over the years Alvaro Palacios has transformed this from a 50% Tempranillo vineyard to firmly Garnacha-dominant, with a shift towards bush vines from double cordon. 95% Garnacha with 5% other traditional red varieties.

I had not yet tasted the 2021 La Montesa, and I'm glad I did. Álvaro Palacios was super proud of this vintage, and he told me that "many people consider it at the level of a very good Burgundy village at a fraction of the price!" It is indeed a great value, even more so in an exceptional year like 2021. But it was unmistakably Garnacha, with notes of garrigue and aromatic herbs, red cherries and flowers. It fermented with 20% full clusters in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in barrel for 12 months. It's clean and precise, with a lace texture, very fine tannins, flavors of red berries and herbs and a long, tasty, chalky finish. It has to be one of the finest vintages of Montesa to date. It has 14.3% alcohol, a pH of 3.5 and 5.3 grams of acidity. It's not a small cuvée; they produced 592,372 bottles! It was bottled in March 2023.

Beautiful berry-fruit purity with dark raspberries, pomegranate, some moss and subtle mineral and spices. Expressive and crunchy on the firm, medium-bodied palate with succulent berries and minerals. Pure and pithy finish. Drink or hold.