Finca Manzanos Tempranillo 2020
Finca Manzanos Tempranillo is a lightly oaked Rioja made mainly from Tempranillo. It has aromas of ripe black and red fruits, spices, liquorice and chocolate. A nicely fruity and well-balanced youthful red which has many of the hallmarks of classic Rioja. After slow fermentation in stainless steel, the wine is then aged in French and American oak barrels mostly 2nd and 3rd year use, with just 10% new American oak barrels to provide the … Read More
La Multa 2019
A smooth, concentrated and exuberant red with a huge berry fruit nose and palate, El Escoces Volante La Multa has character, lots of spicy well balanced damson/plum fruit and a sweet oak finish. It has scored very highly for a wine of this price, in Decanter (89 points), David Williams has identified La Multa as a star wine in his Decanter Magazine article March 2020 “Around Spain in 10 Garnachas.” La Multa is made … Read More
Almaraz Tempranillo 2019
Almaraz Tempranillo from Bodegas del Medievo in Rioja, was one of our most popular new wines over the last couple of years. An appealing, soft and very lightly oaked Rioja. It has berry fruit aromas coupled with a touch of vanilla oak and a juicy berry fruit, spicy palate. Made from 90% young tempranillo grapes from the 2019 vintages and 10% of Tempranillo grapes from Medievo Crianza 2017 vintage, the latter have spent 12 … Read More
Bodegas y Viñedos Merayo Mencía 2020
Merayo Mencía is an inviting young red made from the lovely Mencia grape with aromas of violets, cherries, blueberries and mushroom hints. It has a smooth, cherry fruit and spice palate with smooth tannins. It has been described as the Pinot Noir of Spain, and it has similar characteristics of fresh, refined fruit, smoothness and light structure. This is something different and very distinctive in character from the widely planted Tempranillo grape found in … Read More
Gatito Loco 2020 (Organic)
Gatito Loco Rioja is bursting with fruit. With it’s eye-catching label depicting a Gatito Loco (literally meaning a crazy kitten), it is a young, yet full flavoured Rioja and is strikingly different. This wine has fresh, bright aromas of red and black fruits with a wonderful fresh character. Blackberry and red fruit flavours with supporting nuances of balsam, liquorice and chocolate. This is a young, un-oaked Rioja but quite complex wine and it stands … Read More
Mendoza La Tremenda Monastrell 2018
Mendoza La Tremenda Monastrell is immediately inviting with aromas of black cherries and hints of mediterranean herbs, spice, toast and cocoa. This is followed by rich cherry fruit flavours and nice savoury, ripe tannins. It has a lovely silky texture and very good length. Made from the Monastrell grape which is known as Mourvedre in France, where it plays a starring role in Chateauneuf du Pape, here it makes the stylish Mendoza La Tremenda … Read More
Dominio de Punctum Tempranillo Roble 2020 (Organic)
Dominio de Punctum Tempranillo Roble has appealing aromas of pure blackcurrant and cherry fruit with hints of spice and vanilla oak; intense flavours of juicy black fruit follow on from the aromas, coupled with well-judged vanilla oak and a touch of pepper and spice. Made from organic and biodynamically grown grapes, this is a stylish, characterful, savoury red wine with good structure and smooth tannins. it has a lovely balance and very good length. … Read More
Dominio de Punctum Graciano/Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (Organic)
Dominio de Punctum Graciano/Cabernet Sauvignon Roble from this outstanding organic and biodynamic Estate, joined our portfolio in 2021. It has striking aromas of deep, dark cherry and blackcurrant, laced with a touch of leather, almonds and vanilla oak. This is followed by intense, cherry and black-fruit flavours with almond hints. The Graciano grape gives this wine the predominant cherry, almond flavours and the Cabernet Sauvignon provides great structure, and firm tannins, which smooth with … Read More
Bodegas Olarra Cerro Añon Crianza 2018
Cerro Añon Crianza returns to our list with the excellent 2018 vintage. With inviting aromas of blackberry, cherry and spice with vanilla hints, it is classic Rioja. It has a textured raspberry/red fruit flavours with a touch of black fruit and spice. We are impressed with the structure, freshness and elegance of this Crianza It is made from grapes from 20 year old vines in the Rioja Alta and Alavesa areas and aged for … Read More
Care Garnacha Nativa 2019
Care Garnacha Nativa has fresh, powerful aromas of blackberry and blackcurrant fruits with spice, mocha and date hints. There is an abundance of ripe black fruit, spice and date flavours with almond, liquorice and toasty oak hints. This is a fresh, elegant and complex red with soft, ripe tannins and a well balanced fruity structure. There are also hints of dark cherries and coffee beans and it has excellent length and depth of flavours; … Read More
Emilio Moro Finca Resalso 2020
Finca Resalso is a great find from Ribera del Duero. It has expressive, rich blackberry and blackcurrant aromas with a hint of spice and subtle oak. These black fruit flavours combine with mellow tannins and a lovely savoury texture to provide a fine, well-balanced, textured red with the notable finesse of a wine from Ribera del Duero. It has structure and some complexity gained from its malolactic fermentation and ageing for 4 months in … Read More
Mil Historias Bobal 2019 (Organic)
Mil Historias Bobal has a lightness and vibrancy about it, although full of flavours. It arrests the senses with intense aromas of cherry and plum fruit with citrus hints and a touch of black pepper. The flavours are equally intense; there is cherry and plum fruit together with peppery and liquorice hints. This medium-bodied red has a full, savoury and a long complex finish. Wines made from this widely planted grape, the Bobal, mainly … Read More
Mil Historias Malbec 2019 (Organic)
Mil Historias Malbec is our second wine from this terrific Bodega in off-the-beaten-track Manchuela, in Spain. It has intense aromas of mulberries, blueberries and hints of dark chocolate, leather and spice. The flavours are equally intense, there is black fruit and dark cherry fruit together with dark chocolate, espresso, liquorice and black pepper hints. This full-bodied red has a lovely full, savoury and complex finish. It is structured with ripe tannins and excellent fruit … Read More
El Escoces Volante Manga del Brujo 2017
Manga del Brujo has a complex, rich, spicy damson and plum nose with hints of garrigue and chocolate. These are followed by rich strawberry, plum fruit flavours and pepper notes. This is a big wine which is superbly concentrated, elegant and yet burly at the same time! 5 months in oak barrel has given this intensely flavoured wine a perfect balance and great length. Hand-picked grapes from selected, very low-yield old vines give this … Read More
Luis Cañas Crianza 2017
Luis Cañas Crianza has rich blackcurrant and raspberry aromas with hints of creamy oak with enticing balsam hints. This leads you into its concentrated, rich fruit flavours and complex, savoury layers. It is such an elegant, yet appealing Rioja Crianza, with great structure, excellent balance and smooth round tannins. We are always impressed by the quality and price of this stylish Crianza which is more like a Reserva in elegance, complexity and depth of flavours. … Read More
Bodegas Urbina Crianza 2012
Bodegas Urbina Crianza 2012 oozes the classic, elegance and charm of a mature Rioja. This is a beautifully refined wine in perfect balance – this is what mature Rioja is all about! We are enjoying the 2017 Rioja Crianzas at the moment, but this is something different to discover. Bodegas Urbina Crianza 2012 has been judged as worthy of 92 points from Tim Atkin MW in his 2021 Special Rioja Report. Intense strawberry, blackberry … Read More
Medievo Tuerce Botas Crianza 2016/17
Medievo Tuerce Botas Crianza gets your attention with its appealing aromas of almonds and wild berries with toasty cedary notes. It has a powerful, complex and creamy textured palate with mature, ripe cherry, blueberry and blackcurrant fruit. It is both savoury and elegant with well integrated tannins and a very long, fresh finish. Medievo Tuerce Botas Crianza is one of the few Riojas made totally from the lovely Graciano grape and aged in French … Read More
Ramon Bilbao Edición Limitada Crianza 2017
Ramon Bilbao Edición Limitada Crianza has rich aromas of black fruit and inviting black pepper and spicy notes on the nose, coupled with complex aromas of cocoa and chocolate mingled with oak hints. Intense black fruit flavours develop with a silky warmth and combine with liquorice nuances and subtle oak. This 2017 vintage is a full-flavoured, complex Rioja Crianza with a pure fruit focus. It has a velvety mouthfeel, ripe tannins coupled with excellent … Read More
Cuvee de Cair 2017
Cuvee de Cair is a Roble (oak aged wine) from Dominio de Cair. Tempranillo is blended with a touch of Merlot and aged in oak for 9 months. The result is complex, layered aromas of black fruits, chocolate and mocha coupled with a rich, intense, highly structured palate of savoury black fruit with creamy oak notes and excellent length. It has a beautiful balance of tannins and fruit. Cuvee de Cair is a special … Read More
Luis Cañas Reserva 2015
Luis Cañas Reserva is always an intensely flavoured and elegant wine from one of the top Rioja Bodegas. The 2015 vintage has leather, oak, rich blackberry and blackcurrant fruit aromas with hints of balsam, liquorice and spice. The flavours are concentrated with rich dark berry fruits together with savoury layers of cocoa, liquorice and toasty oak hints. It is mouth-filling, smooth and savoury. It has has very good structure, balance and potential for ageing. … Read More
Bodegas Urbina Reserva Especial 2006
Urbina Reserva Especial 2006 has exquisite and complex aromas of black fruit, leather and cigar box. These lead you into layers of silky blackberry, with a hint of strawberry, fruit flavours that have been aged to perfection. It has an elegance and freshness with delicious ripe berry concentration and perfectly integrated oak. Tim Atkin MW in his special Rioja reports in 2019 and 2020 has named Urbina Reserva Especial 2006 as one of his … Read More
Bodegas Urbina Reserva Especial 1998
Urbina Reserva Especial 1998 has complex aromas of black fruit, leather and cigar box with hints of forest floor. These lead you into layers of silky blackberry and blackcurrant fruit flavours that have been aged to perfection. It has an elegance and warmth with delicious ripe berry concentration and perfectly integrated oak; it is definitely more-ish. Tim Atkin MW consistently awards this wine 94 points in his Special Rioja Reports in 2019 and 2020; … Read More
Bodegas Urbina Gran Reserva 2004
Urbina Gran Reserva 2004 is a wonderfully mature Rioja which seduces you immediately with its very attractive, complex aromas of black fruit, leather and cedary oak. These lead you into layers of rich, savoury blackcurrant and berry fruit flavours that are in complete harmonious balance with oak. This is a wine of great finesse, velvet smoothness and wondrous length. Tim Atkin MW in his special Rioja report in 2018 waxes lyrical about Urbina Gran … Read More
Muga Selección Especial Reserva 2015
Muga Selección Especial Reserva is a stunning, limited edition Reserva which is only made in very good years. Bodegas Muga is one of the most famous wineries in Rioja and their wines are sublime. Ripe red berry fruit together with subtle oak aromas are coupled with pepper and forest floor hints. The mature berry fruit flavours are intense and complex with peppery spice, and roasted coffee nuances. It is both silky and elegant with … Read More