Red Wine

Winemaker Notes:
"Cherry colour with garnet rim, bright and intense. Red fruit expression, powerful, elegant, dry stone, coca bean, creamy oak, hints of spices. Powerful, flavourful, fruity, good acidity, smoky aftertaste, toasty, long finish."

In 1927, a group of 15 vine-growers banded together to create the Cooperativa Ribera del Duero (which translates as "Bank of the Duero River"). They were the first to make a wine called "Ribera del Duero", and as regional pioneers, eventually gave their name to the DO when it was created in 1982. Generations later, this cooperative is producing some of the most highly acclaimed wines in Spain under the name "Protos", meaning "First" in Greek.

In 2008, Protos reached another milestone with the completion of its state-of-the-art winery by renowned British architect Richard Rogers. A modern architectural gem, the winery is built into the mountain just beneath Penafiel Castle, at once complementing and contrasting the ancient landmark.

LOCATION OF VINEYARD
Protos has two wineries in the heart of the Ribera del Duero: Penafiel (near Valladolid) and Anguix (near Burgos). Their third winery, La Seca, is where they make Verdejo in the neighboring Rueda DO near Valladolid. Protos owns 100 hectares of vineyards around its wineries and has partnerships with several local growers who supply additional grapes.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY
Protos has the unique distinction of offering wines from two DOs, producing fresh, aromatic Verdejos from Rueda in addition to varietal Tempranillos from Ribera del Duero. Harvesting is entirely manual, and production is gathered in 20-kilogram boxes (just over 44 pounds) to aid in ensuring only completely healthy, whole grapes reach the fermentation tanks. Protos has also implemented an extensive R&D program to test the effects of different types of barrels on its wines.

In both DOs, Protos leverages its generations of winemaking experience, cutting-edge technology, and philosophy of "Quality above all" to produce exceptional wines.

Jose Serrano Carlos Guzman graduated from the L??Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique in Montpellier, France, with a degree in viticulture. Following graduation, he served as winemaker and technical director at several estates, including Bodega Cooperative de Morales de Toro (DO Toro), Bodegas Marques de Riscal (DO Rueda), and finally Bodegas Roqueta (DO Pla de Bages). He became Winemaker Director at Bodegas Protos in 1999.

#53 on The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2022.

94 points Wine Spectator
Well-tailored in an understated way, this harmonious red is plushly creamy on the palate, like fine cashmere, showing seamless integration of the sculpted tannins with finely detailed flavors of black cherry and black plum reduction, sandalwood, cedar, green olive, espresso crema and minerally smoke and iron. Long and lightly juicy on the refined finish. Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. Drink now through 2030.

97 points Wine Advocate
The most classical of their wines, the 2015 Prado Enea Gran Reserva is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, mostly from Rioja Alta (Sajazarra, Cellorigo and Fonzaleche), but the Garnacha is from different plots in the zone of Tudelilla at high altitude. These grapes are always picked last, but the wine has a similar alcohol level as the rest, around 14.5% in a warm year like 2019. The modus operandi is similar to other of the top cuvees harvested into 200-kilogram boxes, destemming, optical sorting and fermentation in small oak casks with indigenous yeasts. The elevage in this case is extended to 36 months, and the barrels are only 10% new. This is, year in, year out, my favorite wine from Muga, and in this powerful and ripe year, these late-harvesting vines ripened thoroughly and delivered a full array of aromas and flavors so that the wine has plenty of depth and complexity. It has a very classical profile, with incipient tertiary notes, perfumed, floral and rich, textured and beautifully balanced. They compare this 2015 with 2009 and 2005 in terms of style but with freshness in the style of 2001 and 2010. It's enjoyable but should also develop for a long time in bottle. One of the finest Prado Enea vintages. 108,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2018. There's no 2012 or 2013 of this. There will be a 2016 and 2019, but no 2017 or 2018. 2020 is still a question mark, they have not yet decided it.

97 points James Suckling
Reserved and polished, this is a Prado Enea with great class and focus. It’s so aromatic,with plum, peach, cherry and cedar character. Salted olives, too. Medium-to full-bodied with very fine tannins and a long, fresh finish. Elegance with power here. Give it three or four years to open, but already impressive.

93-94 points Wine Advocate
Tasted just before bottling, so a sample of the final blend, the 2023 PSI is juicy, ripe and approachable. It is a little showier and headier, despite having similar alcohol to the bottled 2022 (perhaps a tad higher, but not quite reaching 14%), and it feels a little riper, with peachy notes and some decayed flowers. It has abundant tannins and feels like it's in need of some more time in bottle. This is usually the case for PSI: the tannins need time. They are resolved quite quickly, but it does need a bit of time. It should be bottled in May 2025.

"Moving on to the big guns, the 2004 Unico is truly spectacular, in line with the 1970 and 1994. It's a blend of 87% Tempranillo and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon. Unico has a unique long aging, in the case of the 2004, 15 months in 20,000-liter vats, 25 month in new barrels, 17 months in used barrels and a further 26 months in the big oak vats. It has complex notes of tobacco, cedar wood and blackberries, and shows very good balance between power and elegance as well as perfect ripeness. It has a similar profile to the 1994, but there's ten years difference in experience and technical knowledge. There is nuance; there is detail, filigree, balance, harmony and complexity. There is a fine texture. In short, it is a great, world-class wine, a superb vintage for Unico. 87,500 bottles, 2,229 magnums, 150 double magnums and 5 Imperials were filled with this extraordinary wine. This is approachable now, but it's a shame to drink so soon. It will age for a very long time, as it has the balance and harmony to do so, and it will develop more complexity with time. Drink 2016-2029. But if the single harvest Unico is fantastic, the multi-vintage blend could be even better as it also plays with the benefit of extra aging time." 97pts WA

"Ruby red colour with a golden rim. Bright and deep. Complex aromas. There is a great balance between the fruit (cherries, black plums, ripe blackberries) and the clean nuances of the wood (clove, pepper, vanilla and coconut). The nose is further enriched by the aromas that develop during bottle ageing. Smooth and balanced on the palate with a full, elegant feel and a long, lingering finish." Winemaker notes

Aged for 18 months in American and French-oak casks (50%). Rounded off for 18 months in the bottle cellar.

Marques de Riscal's Crianza is fresh, fruity wine with a lovely attack, reminiscent of red fruit mingled with the coconut and vanilla aromas from the oak. Full and supple with a long finish. A wine with character which showcases the quality of the grapes used to make it.

95 points Vinous
The 2021 Almirez, sourced from La Jara, Villabuena del Puente and Valdefinjas vineyards in Toro, was aged up to 14 months in oak barrels. Garnet in hue. Its ripe aromas feature plums, dried flowers, undergrowth, licorice and garrigue against a cedar backdrop. Dry and rich on the palate, the mild and balanced flow leads to a lasting, juicy, cherry-like finish. The 2021 is a nuanced Toro wine.

93 pts Stephen Tanzer
"Ruby-red. Aromas of dried cherry, raspberry, vanilla, mocha and Cuban tobacco, with smoke and potpourri accents. Supple and expansive, offering sweet, spice-accented red and dark berry and floral pastille flavors that stain the palate. Dusty tannins add shape and grip to the very long, smooth, penetrating finish. I find this wine quite approachable now but it has the balance to age. Not the weightiest Valbuena but very impressive for the vintage."

"The 2007 Valbuena is rounded and warmer than the 2006 with lush dark berry fruits interlaced with scents of espresso and bay leaf. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, crisp acidity with a composed, focused finish of black cherries, raspberry, cedar and mocha. The 2007 has great precision and focus. It is more feminine and assured than the 2006, but one senses that it is holding something back to charm consumers in five or six year?????s time. This is very impressive. Drink 2017-2030. " 92pts WA

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2023 Parajes is his regional red, a blend of different places, soils, expositions and altitudes (between 450 and 780 meters above sea level). It's a real representation of El Bierzo, with grapes from 45 different plots in nine villages. The vines range in age from 80 to 142 years of old and are planted with field blends - approximately 85% Mencia, 10% Alicante Bouschet and 5% other white and red varieties like Bastardo, Souson and Estaladina. There are always some full clusters, depending on vintage and plot, and part of the wine ferments in stainless steel and part of it is in bins, as he ferments by plot. The wine matured in 225-, 400- and 500-liter oak barrels for one year. It has moderate ripeness and 13.08% alcohol, a pH of 3.58 and 5.34 grams of acidity, making it lower in alcohol than the 2022 and with more freshness. It's serious and balanced, elegant and fine-boned. It gets very close to the village red this year. This is a bargain. 34,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2025.

Cesar Marquez Perez, Raul Perez's nephew, is one of the most precise winemakers in Bierzo with the family Castro Ventosa range and his personal project, which he started in 2015. In the 2023 vintage, he is releasing a new wine from the Villegas area, a lieu-dit in Valtuille on sandy soils. The single-vineyard wines are aging in increasingly larger oak containers, combining 1,200-liter vats with 500- and 600-liter barrels. He owns 7.2 hectares and works a further seven with local growers across Bierzo, from altitudes ranging between 450 to 850 meters above sea level. His production is slowly growing, and he now crafts 60,000 bottles per year.

As he told me while tasting the wines from the family winery, Castro Ventosa, which he also vinifies, "2023 was a cooler vintage with rain at the beginning of the harvest. The wines have a floral, serious and elegant profile with a contained alcohol content of 12.5% to 13%." These are some of the finest and more elegant wines he has produced so far.

92 points Vinous
The 2021 Lalama blends 85% Mencía, 8% Brancellao and 7% other grapes from Val do Bibei, Ribeira Sacra. Aged up to 14 months in barrels and , it displays a deep purple hue with blue tones. It's expressive, with herbal and red fruit notes, hints of blood orange, pomegranate, violet and a subtle barrel influence. Fine tannins, slight freshness and a touch of wet earth balance its ripeness.

Organic / Biodynamic

93 points James Suckling
Fine oak spices and cocoa powder to the ripe cherries, cassis, black cherries and warm stones. Full-bodied and polished on the palate with tightly wound tannins that seep through the compact fruit. Good balance between tight structure and fruit density. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but better from 2024.

92 points Wine Spectator
Long and creamy, this elegant red is structured by supple tannins and juicy acidity, a fine frame for the appealing range of baked black cherry, fig cake, mocha and sage. Fresh, spiced finish. Drink now through 2028.

Organic / Biodynamic

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2023 La Casilla fermented with full clusters and indigenous yeasts in 4,500-liter oak vats and matured in those vats and some 600-liter barrels for nine months. It has incredible freshness, 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.6 and 5.5 grams of acidity. It's complex and serious, a lot more complex than Clos Lojen, despite the small price difference, and it has notes of berries, herbs and flowers, plenty of aromatic Mediterranean herbs and very good freshness and acidity, fine tannins and very good overall balance, ideal with food. It's serious but easy to drink. It's more Rhone than Burgundy. It was bottled in June 2024 and 15,000 bottles were produced. I tasted a bottle of the 2005, their first vintage, and the wine was fully mature, even if the style was different (it has 14.5% alcohol), more extractive and with more oak.

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96 points Vinous
The 2023 El Rapolao Lomas de Valtuille is a Mencía from a centenary vineyard in Bierzo that is trained from head to trellis. It fermented with 100% whole clusters and aged for up to 11 months in barrel. This is direct, offering pomegranate, cherry, violet, rosehip and a hint of mint that refreshes the bouquet. It is juicy and tense, with fine, slightly dry tannins delivering freshness and energy. The finish is compact and marked by the stem character.

100% Garnacha from Navarra, planted between 1890 - 1960. Grapes are lightly crushed and cold macerated before primary fermentation. The wine is transferred to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation. Aged for 7 months in second-use French oak barrels.

These reviews are on the previous vintage (2021).

95 points Tim Atkin
Vivid garnet color. Juicy and spicy on the palate with red fruit and black and white pepper flavors. Accents of coffee and minerality. Elegant, fine, and delicate, but supported by firm tannins.

92 points James Suckling
Lifted, peppery nose with red fruit. Strawberries, red cherries and plenty of white pepper and peppercorn funk. Juicy and pretty intense on the medium-bodied palate with tight, dusty tannins and a long, tangy finish. Quite elegant and spicy, although it can be mono-dimensional for some. Drink now.

92 points Wine Advocate
The 2017 Reserva comes from the frost year when they lost a great part of the grapes. The cycle was very short and the summer was warm, and it was one of their earlier harvests. The wine comes in at a moderate 14% alcohol and feels very approachable, with grip and some tannins that would welcome food. They still produced 40,000 bottles, because there was less Crianza.

92 points Wine Spectator
Fragrant hints of anise, iron and mountain herbs add depth to the focused core of ripe black cherry and black raspberry fruit. Sculpted tannins form a fine frame for this fluid, well-knit red, firming the lingering finish. Drink now through 2032.

94 pts Wine Advocate
The pale, translucent, ethereal and perfumed 2019 Finca Xabrega was produced with a field blend of 90% Menc??a, 10% Garnacha Tintorera and some white grapes from a single vineyard planted with old vines on granite and mica soils. The destemmed grapes fermented with indigenous yeasts and soft pig??age in stainless steel, then the wine matured in barrel for three months, followed by six months in tank to settle before bottling. It's very, clean, elegant, precise and subtle with great freshness and balance and only 12.5% alcohol. Ethereal, beautiful juice. Only 912 bottles were filled in July 2020.

50+ year old vines and only 0.8 hectares

94 points Decanter
Classically 'old-fashioned' Rioja that has stuck to its 1877 roots. Fine natural warmth and smooth, slightly nutty flavours, lots of controlled energy and a firm finish. A really lovely wine. (12/2018)

94 points Vinous
Vibrant, spice-tinged red currant and cherry aromas are complemented by suggestions of pipe tobacco, vanilla and incense, and a spicy nuance gains volume with air. Sweet and seamless on the palate, offering energetic red fruit and spicecake flavors that pick up a hint of smokiness on the back half. Concentrated yet lively, showing impressive delineation and a sexy floral quality on the extremely long, seamless finish. While this wine is quite seductive right now, I've little doubt that it will cruise along nicely for at least another decade or more, and probably quite a bit longer. (2/2019)

Organic / Biodynamic

96+ points Wine Advocate
For Juan Antonio Ponce, the 2022 La Estrecha is the vintage that better showcases the finesse of Bobal that they have been looking for, which he describes as fine, ethereal, fresh, elegant and intense. The plot has vines over 75 years old, with 90% Bobal and other mixed varieties on granite soils. It fermented with 100% full clusters in a 4,500-liter barrel and matured in a 5,000-liter oak foudre (instead of in 600-liter barrels like in the past) for 10 months. The wines are not fined, filtered or cold stabilized. This has only 12.5% alcohol, which is possible in the Mediterranean. This is very pale, delicate and ethereal, the change in the ??levage from barrels to larger foudre seems to have had a big impact in the wine that feels more relaxed. 4,800 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2023.

"2001 is a great vintage for all the wines from La Rioja Alta but the long-awaited 2001 Gran Reserva 890 is otherworldly. 2001 was a slow maturing vintage which produced smaller grapes especially in the old vineyards on the slopes of the Sierra Cantabria in the villages of Brinas, Labastida and Villalba where the vineyards that make it into this wine are located. The final blend contains a majority of Tempranillo with 3% Graciano and 2% Mazuelo. The wine ferments with the natural yeasts attached to the grapes in stainless steel vats and is aged for six years in used American oak barrels with 12 manual rackings. A selection of the best barrels were blended together and bottled unfiltered in March 2008. Only 15,000 bottles were produced. It shows (even) younger and more concentrated than the 2004 904, a darker shade of red and a somehow backward and reticent nose (relatively speaking) of forest floor, cold bonfire, antique shop, truffles, game, sandalwood, nutmeg and clove. The fruit is also a little darker and the palate more austere, but still showing vibrant and supple, with clean flavors and a great finish. This is my favorite modern time 890. Bravo! Drink 2016-2026." 95pts WA

The Bodega was formed in 1890 as a partnership of 5 quality-conscious growers keen to exploit the export potential for well-made, ?????modern????? Rioja. At this time, French vineyards were ravaged by phylloxera, and connoisseurs were having to look elsewhere for supplies of fine wine. Rioja, with its excellent climate and soils, had already attracted attention, and experiments with Bordeaux-style vinification and barrique-aging were proving very successful. The region?????s only real disadvantage was its remoteness, cut off from the lucrative markets to the north by the same mountains that ensured its favorable climate. This problem was solved by construction of the rail link to Bilbao, and it is no coincidence that Bodegas La Rioja Alta was established next to the Haro railway station in the same year it opened. In 1904, La Rioja Alta absorbed Bodegas Ardanza, and gained access to some of the finest vineyards in the Rioja Alta district. The luxury 904 bottling commemorates this important milestone in the company?????s development. Since then Rioja has seen more bad times than good, and many producers have harmed the reputation of the region and its production methods, releasing sloppily-aged wines which were never good enough to support a long time in cask. But La Rioja Alta has never let standards slip, and continues to this day the tradition of careful long-aging that gives Rioja its unique character. These wines offer a wonderfully complex bouquet, rich flavours, a seductively smooth texture, and are all ready to drink on release.

Few dispute that La Rioja Alta S.A. is the leading quality orientated producer in the Rioja. With more than 50,000 casks and 6.4 million bottles stored at any one time, the equivalent of about 8 years sales, La Rioja Alta S.A. is unique in its ability to supply large quantities of fully mature wines of world class quality. The company owns 300 hectares of vineyards in different parts of the best zones of the Rioja Alta region. La Rioja Alta S.A. is specialized in red wines. The leading grape variety is the Tempranillo with small doses of Mazuelo and Graciano. The Vina Ardanza differs from the other wines with some 25% Garnacha in the blend. After vinification in the new ultra modern vinification plant near Haro, aging is in traditional Bordeaux casks, all made from American oak. Racking is by hand every 6 months with 8 teams working full time racking the 51,000 casks. There is no filtration prior to bottling and further long aging in bottle before release. In short the wines are made in the traditional Rioja manner. The company is adamant about not using French oak, keeping the unique Rioja style which has been developed since the end of the 19th century. In spite of the varying amount of time in cask and bottle the wines all display a wonderful rich ruby colour, gorgeous aromas of oak, spices and fruit followed by a sensational feel on the palate, with a wonderful smooth texture, clean rich oaky/fruity flavours and a long lingering finish. All the wines are ready for consumption on release but will keep for many more years in bottle. This situation is almost unique in the world of wine and is the reason why so many restaurants list La Rioja Alta?????s outstanding range of truly classic Rioja wines.

Organic

100% Cencibel, the local clone of Tempranillo. The alluring aromatics immediately envelop the senses, fresh red berries and subtle floral components waft from the glass. The dark core gives the impression of power and heft but the solid backbone of acidity provides lift, a weightlessness on the palate. Texturally lush with juicy blackberry and currant characteristics and a long finish that is dry. The balance from start to finish in this wine demonstrates the touch of a talented winemaker. This wine will surely earn a plethora of new fans.

Organically grown grapes in the village of Villarrobledo and El Provencio. 75+ year old vines (Castilla-La Mancha). Hand harvested. The grapes are destemmed, and then fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel tank. Maceration lasts until the end of alcoholic fermentation, with regular wetting of the cap. The wine is then pressed into centenarian local clay tinajas (amphora). The wine ages in tinajas for 3 months followed by 2 months in used French barrels and then 6 months in bottle before release.

97 points Vinous
The 2023 La Vitoriana Lomas de Valtuille is a Mencia from the eponymous paraje in Valtuille, sourced from a centenary vineyard. It fermented with 100% whole clusters and aged for up to 11 months in barrel. This is expressive on the nose, with flowers, mint, white pepper and dried blossoms providing aromatic lift. The tannins are fine, the palate is flavorful and the whole-cluster fermentation gives it a compact, tight finish.

95 points Wine Advocate
The 2023 La Vizcaina La Vitoriana is the only red from the Vizcaina range that is not from their own vines, as they buy the grapes, 1.1 hectares in the lower part of the lieu-dit that has sandy soils (the other parts have clay). It's quite linear and with good acidity but ripened thoroughly. There are no white grapes here, only a small percentage of Bastardo, and the vines are 100+ years of age. This is a small lieu-dit in a cooler place in the village, a place that is harvested later. Some 5,000 bottles produced.

Spending 18-24 glorious months aging in used bourbon barrels from legendary Pappy Van Winkle, old vine fruit shines through with aromas and flavors of blueberry liqueur, blackberry, black cherry and peppery spice. Then there is a graceful segue into wood smoke, brown sugar, vanilla, and sweet spice that frame all of that ripe and savory fruit very nicely. Super full bodied and full flavored, but smooth and silky on the palate, this is probably about as close as most of us will get to Pappy van Winkle. -PJ Wine

95 points Wine Advocate
The white Godello 2023 La Salvacion was produced with grapes from a one-hectare centenary plot in Arganza, the northernmost and cooler village in Bierzo, a plot on clay and slate that was regrafted from Mencia some 20 years ago. The destemmed grapes were pressed in a pneumatic press, and the juice fermented in 500-liter oak barrels after setting for 24 hours. It matured in those barrels for one year, with the lees but without batonnage. It has 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.07 and 7.25 grams of acidity, meaning good ripeness and very good freshness and acidity. It's vibrant and very tasty, piercing and pungent, with a nice compromise between power and elegance. It's more direct, sharp and tasty but with restraint; it takes time to open up in the glass. 6,700 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2025.

Cesar Marquez Perez, Raul Perez's nephew, is one of the most precise winemakers in Bierzo with the family Castro Ventosa range and his personal project, which he started in 2015. In the 2023 vintage, he is releasing a new wine from the Villegas area, a lieu-dit in Valtuille on sandy soils. The single-vineyard wines are aging in increasingly larger oak containers, combining 1,200-liter vats with 500- and 600-liter barrels. He owns 7.2 hectares and works a further seven with local growers across Bierzo, from altitudes ranging between 450 to 850 meters above sea level. His production is slowly growing, and he now crafts 60,000 bottles per year.

As he told me while tasting the wines from the family winery, Castro Ventosa, which he also vinifies, "2023 was a cooler vintage with rain at the beginning of the harvest. The wines have a floral, serious and elegant profile with a contained alcohol content of 12.5% to 13%." These are some of the finest and more elegant wines he has produced so far.

92+ points Wine Advocate
A new wine from the Viña Real winery, the 2020 Bakeder is a village red produced with Tempranillo grapes from Laguardia. It has contained oak and good ripeness at 13.95% alcohol, a more modern style of red that shows very young, quite fruit-driven and with a soft mouthfeel and velvety tannins. It has purity of fruit, elegance and finesse with respectful oak after 10 months in French barriques. There are some 30,000 bottles of this. It was first produced in 2019.

95 pts Wine Advocate
The red flagship 2006 Viña Tondonia Reserva was inspired by the vineyards of the Médoc but produced with local grapes, 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, which achieved 13% alcohol in 2006. It always matures in used American oak barriques for some six years. The oldest of all the reds I tasted, it was also the one with more freshness, which speaks to the quality of the vineyard. This takes the lion's share of the 400,000 bottles the winery produces, with some 220,000 bottles filled over a period of 12 consecutive days in May 2014.

Organic

92 points Wine Advocate
I love the simplicity of the red blend 2020 Candea Tinto, which is straightforward, tasty, juicy and balanced, without any excess or makeup, raw and authentic, with note of wild berries, flowers and herbs and a medium-bodied palate with moderate alcohol and nice balance. Highly drinkable. 14,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2022

94 points Wine Advocate
I tasted two vintages of the Gran Reserva from Haro, starting with the 2017 Imperial Gran Reserva from a warm and dry year whose yields were lowered by frost in late April and was saved by rains at the end of July. It's 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo with 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.65 and 5.31 grams of acidity. It fermented in small oak vats followed by malolactic in concrete and aging in French (70%) and American oak barrels for two years, during which time the wine was racked every eight months. It's evolving at a slightly faster pace and maybe it's a little lighter, but I didn't feel the heat, which is quite something. It's drinking well. 75,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2020.

94 points Vinous
The 2017 Gran Reserva Imperial blends 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo from Villalba in Rioja Alta. Aged for 24 months in oak barrels (two-thirds French, one-third American), it's a dark garnet red. The 2017 reveals alluring aromas of sour cherry, blackberry and hints of mint, all set against an oak backdrop. Dry and concentrated, it finishes powerfully, achieving significant nuance for a ripe year in Rioja.