Graciano

CVNE Rioja Reserva 2012, Spain (£15.40 Majestic, Waitrose, Wholefoods, Wine Rack, Fresh and Wild, Eynsham Cellars, Islington Wine) Nicely structured young wine with lightly bitter herb-tinged red berry, orange peel and gentle vanilla spice flavours supported by fresh acidity and quite bold tannin. Young, chunky, quite tight-knit at the moment […]

CVNE Rioja Reserva 2012, Spain

by
Viña Real Rioja Reserva 2010, Spain (£18.45 Hailsham Cellars, Clifton Cellars, Planet of the Grapes) Rich and knowing style of wine, battle-scarred, but still very much alive, with meaty red berry and plum flavours, and spicy orange peel notes on the finish. Very tasty, and still on the young side. […]

Tempranillo from Rioja and Toro

by
I thought the idea of Gran Reserva was that the wines had mellowed through the 5+ years of aging. Not this one… Ramón Bilbao Rioja Gran Reserva 2008, Spain (£14.95-£16.95 Hercules Wine Warehouse, Noel Young, Sandhams, The Wine Reserve, Concept Fine Wines) Still a pup, with oak coming through strongly […]

Ramón Bilbao Rioja Gran Reserva 2008, Spain

by
Viña Real Rioja Crianza 2011, Spain (£11.05 Lea & Sandeman Company Ltd, Fortnum and Mason Plc, Cranbrook Wines, D.Byrne & Co, Ann et Vin Ltd, Hailsham Cellars, York Wines, Pimlico Dozen Ltd, Field and Fawcett, Cheers Wine Merchants, Wino’s Ltd, Bin 21 Limited, The Clifton Cellars, The Drinkshop.com Ltd, Dickens […]

Five Tempranillos (-ish) from Spain & Australia

by
… all of them excellent. The penultimate of the catch-up-on-tasting-notes posts (see intro HERE if that doesn’t make sense) Viña Real Rioja Reserva 2009, Spain (£17.99 Berry Bros & Rudd, Wimbledon, Partridges, DeFINE, Tanners) Relaxed, open-hearted wine, with sweet berry flavours, meaty/earthy overtones and fine tannins, gentle but persistent, hard to ignore now, but […]

Four Rioja Reservas

by