"Spicy cola, cherry, iron filings, light toasty vanilla oak. Red berries, fleshy slightly sandy tannin, a little savoury in with the juicy red fruit, a sort of dry-ish ashen feel, firm acidity, and a solid finish. Good drink. Olé! and all that" Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

Such an enticing nose with ripe berry fruit and spices framed by a characteristic savoury edge. Super fresh palate with spicy and seductive red berry vitality supplemented by varietal cherry cola flavours wrapped in fine tannins before a long and bright finish. This wine will be best drinking from 2018 and over the next few years.

Rioja Alavesa, in the foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains, is the finest sub-region of Rioja. A patchwork of small vineyards are planted in very poor, sandy soils on the lower slopes. Very low yields, along with cooler night temperatures, create wines with intensity matched by elegance and defined structures.

2018 was one of the biggest yields of the last decade ensuring all vignerons of the region were happy after a lack lustre 2017. Stylistically it was a good and ‘classic’ year closer to the vintages of decades ago with medium alcohol at around 13%. Harvest was later but with good acidity and excellent aromas. Harvest was prolonged due to wetter conditions earlier in the year delaying flowering and fruit set and the lower alcohols are a result of higher yields and a dry summer.  The arid conditions slowed down the production of sugar in the berries.

Totally de-stemmed before a long, cool fermentation with daily pump-overs to achieve optimum fruit and colour. Sulphur additions were minimal to allow for maximum fruit expression. The wine was aged primarily in stainless steel with 10% being matured in one year old 400 litre French oak.

Food Pairing: Pair with some char-grilled chorizo for a taste sensation.