Rioja

One of the best of the traditional Rioja wine producers.  This wine lived up to its reputation.  A blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 10% Graciano and Manzuelo.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight plums, vanilla, smoke and slight balsamic notes.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this has plenty of depth.  Cherries, dried cherries, smoke and slight dill notes.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This is delicious and complex.  It drinks great on its own and even better with food.  Lamb stew would be a nice choice.  Drink over the next fifteen to twent

I believe this is Viura.  Yellow gold in color with some green hues, clear and bright.  The nose has some minerals and smoke.  It has a viscous texture.  On the palate, this is tart with green apple notes.  Moderate finish.  A nice sipping wine that will work well with lighter foods.  Drink now.  

This is the basic wine from this great, traditional winery.  Purchased at a Tapas restaurant, this is an excellent value.  It is a blend of Tempranillo (65%), Garnacho (25%), and the rest Mazuelo and Graciano.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is great with cherries, slight dill, tobacco and slight mushrooms.  Medium bodied.  Great balance.  On the palate, loads of fresh cherry fruit with just a bit of dried over a dry tobacco base.  Some spice.  Nice finish.  This is nice on its own but worked even better with a series of small Tapas plates.  Drink over the next eight

This is a white wine from Rioja in Spain.  It is a blend of 60% Chardonnay, and 40% Viura.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has citrus, spice, with a slight balsamic note.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is refreshing but also has some complexity.  Good acidity.  The citrus carries thru with the underlying dry earth.  Moderate finish.  This drinks well on its own, but works better with food.  Gaxzpacho would be a nice pairing.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

This is an excellent value in a mostly traditional Spanish wine from Rioja.  It is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and and 30% a combination of balance Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano.  Deep ruby in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black cherries, blueberries, slight tobacco, cloves and slight dill.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has an "old world" feel to it, but with plenty of ripe fruit too.  The blueberries and black cherries come thru over a bed of dusty dry leaves with a slight bit of savory spices.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own but really worked well with

This is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 10% Graciano, and 5% Manuelo from Spain.  It is a modern, delicious take on Rioja.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, espresso, and baking spices.  Full bodied.  Very nice texture. It has lots of black raspberries, some black cherries with underlying spice.  There is some warmth to it.  Drinking great now, it should drink well for another decade.  This drinks great on its own and will work great with heavier meat dishes.  Think steak or brisket.  

Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is pretty with cherries, black cherries, slight dust, and spice.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  Flavors of black cherries with some dill.  Light tannins.  Medium finish.  Very food friendly, this should go with a wide variety but stews and casseroles should do very well.  It is probably close to peak but should be at this level for a decade.  Available for around $15, this is a great value in traditional Rioja.  

Brought back from Spain by a neighbor after meeting with the owners.  This is drinking well now and traditional.  Ruby in color.  The nose is dusty with cherries and slight dried dill.  On the palate, this seems to be just slightly past prime but still drinking well.  Dried and fresh cherries with no tannins.  Easy drinking.  Food friendly.  A very good value although drinking in the first couple of years from vintage is a good idea.  

Ruby in color with slight browning.  The nose has spice, clay and cherries.  It also has a ton of dill which was off putting to some.  The dill does carry thru to the palate, so be warned if that is a sensitivity.  Others liked it.  Firm tannins.  Nice black cherry fruit.  Good balance.  Works better with food than alone.  Pretty classic Rioja in style.  

Ruby in color, slight browning.  The nose has dusty cherries with slight dill notes and some vanilla.  On the palate, this has tart acidity.  Tart cherries.  It works though as it wakes up the palate.  It really demands some food but should work with a wide variety.  Good finish.  Plan on drinking in the next five years or so.