Tasting notes:

An exquisite wine from Rioja Oriental, this wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and undergoes long maceration before being matured in second-fill French oak barriques and new Hungarian oak casks for 16 months. The wine is then aged for a further 22 months in concrete vats. The resulting wine, deep ruby-purple in hue, shows intense cranberry and black fruits and smoke with hints of pencil shavings and violets. The palate is dry, rich and concentrated, and has a structure of fresh acidity and dense, velvet textured tannins. Nicely balanced with good length and complexity, the wine will suit hearty oxtail stew with dumplings and horseradish.  (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)