Winemaker Notes
Intense black-cherry color with good depth of color and hardly any signs of evolution. Very expressive aromas on the nose with notes of licorice, cinnamon and black pepper, with just a subtle hint of the long cask-ageing, thanks to its great complexity and ripe, concentrated fruit. Fresh and easy to drink on the palate, good backbone and lovely, polished tannins. The long, persistent finish leaves gentle balsamic reminders of the finest quality.
This wine goes well with ham, mild cheeses, casseroles which are not highly spiced, bean and pulse dishes, poultry, red meat, grills and roasts.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Refined nose with peppery and earthy undertones to the savory berry fruit, subtle vanilla and orange. Minerals as well. This is firm and quite long on the palate, with medium body and a traditional, nicely rustic twist at the end. Really poised and persistent, showing precision and finesse. One of the best Reserva expressions lately from Marques de Riscal? A joy to drink now, but will hold well over the next 10 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
The scent of purple plum, lavender and dried thyme wafts from the glass. Satiny tannins coat the mouth and bring black currant, Simka plum, olive tapenade, baking spice and cocoa powder flavors. The smooth finish is noted for a light burst of mint.
Hailed as the star red variety in Spain’s most celebrated wine region, Tempranillo from Rioja, or simply labeled, “Rioja,” produces elegant wines with complex notes of red and black fruit, crushed rock, leather, toast and tobacco, whose best examples are fully capable of decades of improvement in the cellar.
Rioja wines are typically a blend of fruit from its three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta and Alavesa, at the highest elevations, are considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier, Rioja Oriental, produce wines with deep color, great body and richness.