Tempranillo


Altano Quinta do Ataíde Douro Reserva 2011, Portugal (£12.50 Halifax Wine Company, Cambridge Wine Merchants, vintagemarque.com, Hoults, Bodnant Welsh Food, Wined Up Here, The Jolly Vintner, Cheese at Leadenhall) Polished, confident style, with herb-infused dark plum and blackcurrant flavours and a touch of spice, rich but never too large, powerful […]

Three Douro Reds


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




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


… 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


Miguel Torres Santa Digna Estelado Rosé Sparkling NV, Secano Interior*, Chile (£14.49 Cambridge Wines, Telford Wines, The Wine Store, Windermere Wine Stores, Roberts & Speight) Crisp, gentle style, with plenty of fresh strawberry flavour and a lightly dusty, even sandy edge to the finish. (B+) Miguel Torres Reserva de Pueblo […]

Talking Pais with Miguel Torres Jr