Sierra Cantabria, Rioja Gran Reserva, 2016
Sierra Cantabria, Rioja Gran Reserva, 2016
- Red Still
- 75.0cl
- 14.0%
- Organic
- Biodynamic
- Tempranillo, Graciano
In the glass, mature red and dark fruit layered with vanilla, spice, balsamic notes and a touch of tobacco from long ageing. The palate is smooth and savoury, with fine tannins and balanced acidity. A natural match for roast lamb, grilled steak or aged Manchego.
Sierra Cantabria's 2016 Rioja Gran Reserva comes from estate vineyards in San Vicente de la Sonsierra in DOCa Rioja, planted mainly to Tempranillo with a small proportion of Graciano on clay-limestone soils. The 2016 vintage offered excellent conditions, delivering ripe fruit with freshness and structure.
It qualifies as a Gran Reserva because it exceeds Rioja’s strict ageing rules: a minimum of five years before release, including at least two years in oak and three in bottle. This wine was aged for around 26 months in American oak, followed by extended bottle maturation.
- ❖ ABV: 14.0%
Grapes
Tempranillo, Graciano
Vintage report
We think 2016 in Rioja is one of those vintages that flew under the radar whilst everyone was obsessing over Bordeaux's brilliant year. The growing season started promisingly with a mild winter and early budbreak, but then May delivered a proper frost wallop that had growers reaching for the smudge pots. Summer turned scorching hot and bone dry, with temperatures regularly hitting 40°C in July and August, before September rains arrived just in time to plump up the grapes without diluting them.
What emerged was a vintage of real concentration and power, particularly for Tempranillo, which seemed to shrug off the heat stress better than anyone expected. The wines have this lovely tension between ripe, generous fruit and firm, age-worthy structure that reminds us why we fell in love with traditional Rioja in the first place. Quality varies more than in the uniformly excellent 2010 or 2001, but the best producers made wines with serious backbone and decades ahead of them. The Reservas and Gran Reservas are drinking beautifully now if you fancy immediate gratification, though we'd argue they'll reward another five to ten years in the cellar.
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