Sierra Cantabria, Rioja Reserva, 2018
Sierra Cantabria, Rioja Reserva, 2018
- Red Still
- 75.0cl
- 14.0%
- Organic
- Biodynamic
- Tempranillo
Sierra Cantabria Rioja Reserva is bright purple with oak-spiced aromas of dark berries and cherry on the nose. Fleshy, sweet and broad, offering lush blackberry, blueberry and coconut flavours and slow-building spiciness. Dusty tannins add grip to the long, spicy finish, which echoes the coconut note.
To make this Sierra Cantabria Rioja Reserva, Tempranillo from the San Vicente de la Sonsierra vineyard was aged for 18 months in half French and half American oak barriques. 20% of the barrels were new, the remainder were a mix of second and third fill.
- ❖ ABV: 14.0%
Grapes
Tempranillo
Vintage report
We think 2018 might just be Rioja's best-kept secret of the decade. The growing season started with a soggy spring that had growers fretting about disease pressure, but then July and August delivered precisely the sort of warm, dry conditions that make Tempranillo sing. The key was September's cool nights, which preserved acidity whilst allowing the fruit to ripen slowly and evenly across Rioja's three sub-regions.
What emerged was a vintage of remarkable balance and elegance. The wines have lovely concentration without the sometimes overbearing power of 2017, and crucially, they've retained that vibrant freshness that makes Rioja so food-friendly. We find the 2018s sitting beautifully between the structured 2016s and the more immediately charming 2019s. Quality is consistently high from Rioja Alta through to Rioja Oriental, with even the humblest village wines showing real character.
The Crianza wines are drinking beautifully now and will continue to improve through 2027, whilst the Reservas are just hitting their stride and have decades ahead of them. We're particularly excited about how the 2018 Gran Reservas will develop over the next 15-20 years.
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