Clear medium-deep garnet. Forward nose of blueberry jam, seared meat, caramel, a hint of varnish. On the palate there are ripe but tart, fresh-tasting mashed berries with earthy herbal notes. In the tradition of wine from this region, it has plenty of alcohol. Drink now, won’t get better.
This is old bush vine Garnacha at altitude, from the mountains of Moncayo, in Aragon and northern Navarre. Winemaker Raúl Acha seeks out vineyards around Spain that best reflect the true essence of Garnacha. Medium-bodied and succulent, with raspberry, forest berries, earthy tobacco on a generous strawberry-jam core. Fine spicing and very grippy black pepper on the warm finish. This spent 5 months in oak.
This Tempranillo-based red is deep purple in colour, holding well for a 12-year-old wine. Cedary-sandalwood notes of oak mingle with strawberries and pencil-lead notes on the nose. Medium-bodied and dry, it’s beautifully balanced with lively acidity and a firm structure.
2004 was a superb vintage, and this has translated to a medium- to full-bodied wine with dried fruit, leather, tomato concentrate, cedar, mint and game qualities. Excellent length with sound tannins, still. Pair with lamb chops.
An obvious old-school Rioja with strawberry, stewed plums, coconut, red flowers, stewed tomatoes and cedar. Excellent length and ready to go.
Pale yellow. Fruity on the nose with pear and apricot notes and a light mineral edge. The palate follows with a nice roundness thanks to mild acidity and a bit of residual sugar. Overall, an easy-drinking bubbly and a good buy at this price.
The Pedro Ximenez grape is produced in a solera that was laid down in 1927. Every year, they take an amount of wine from the bottom row of barrels and top them up with wine from barrels above. This dessert wine is a deep caramel colour with an olive green rim. It’s got a nose of brown sugar and fig jam with a full-bodied flavour of sweet raisins and figs and balancing acidity.