Tempranillo/Tinto Fino

This classic style of Rioja, made by sisters María and Christina from Bodegas Amézola, is aged for 15 months in French and American oak before mellowing for a further 12 months in bottle. The nose bristles with delicate hints of vanilla spice and toasty oak which combine on the palate with notes of red cherry and rich black fruit. A refreshing flush of acidity on the finish cleanses the palate, making this wine a perfect match for a rack of lamb or a grilled rib-eye steak.

This is instantly seductive, with notes of cedar, wood smoke and punnet-loads of ripe, plummy fruit. This is a blend of Garnacha (88 percent) and Tempranillo, grown in a single vineyard on the slopes Mount Yerga. Twelve months in French oak – half of it new – contribute to its voluptuous mouth-feel, while the effects of altitude, as well as the deft timing of the 2014 harvest, ensure it remains fresh and lithe. A great match for all manner of meat dishes, but rabbit paella would be top of my list.

This 2012 Crianza is really impressive. Dense and rich, exuding sweet, dark fruit, it is a serious wine with notable, ripe tannins and good structure from 13 months in French oak. A lovely, perfumed nose and a herbal twist on the palate adds complexity and the finish is long and rewarding. This is a fine example of how serious a Crianza can get. Try with: lamb dishes – from rich, slow-roast shoulder to delicate cutlets.
Catriona Felstead MW - Wine Buyer, June 2017

This delicious red Vermouth is made from 100 percent Tempranillo by the energetic Oscar Aragón of Cillar de Silos. It is one of the most unusual Vermouths we have come across, with an absolutely glorious note of lavender that transcends the more classic bitter herbs. This would be an excellent base for a mouth-watering Negroni or would add an unusual twist to a classic Martini- but it is also superb on its own over ice- summer in a glass. 

For me this is the sweet spot of La Rioja Alta’s range. Exhibiting aromas of spiced plums, damson and sweet spice with hints of Asian spice and vanillin on the nose. Succulent brambly fruit sits at the core of the palate which is medium bodied. Ripe, integrated tannins hold the framework for the layers of sweet cherry and strawberry fruit, savoury notes of leather and cured meat, entwined with a gentle spiciness. Texturally pleasing, a gentle creaminess coats the palate courtesy of American oak maturation, which is wonderfully balanced by a complementing acidity; maintaining freshness and balance through to the long finish. Wonderfully produced with lots going on, you can buy with confidence here with the quality assurance coming from one of Rioja’s most famed and adorned bodegas. Delicious to enjoy now but will continue to evolve and develop further complexity over the coming 7+ years, drinking from 2018 – 2024+.
Chris Lamb - Private Account Manager

Cillar de Silos’s flagship wine, the Torresilo rarely disappoints, yet the 2014 is a particularly fascinating wine. The cooler weather of an ‘Atlantic’ vintage has brought real finesse and a beautiful depth of flavour along with the signature 2014 lavender perfume. The 60- to 120-year-old vines provide good concentration, tempered by 16 months in new French oak. This may technically be of Reserva status but it is a stunning, top level Ribera del Duero wine. Try with: braised lamb, venison or rich roast pork.

Pagos Viejos is a wondrous concoction produced from the oldest vines within three of the great vineyards of Artadi; El Carretil, La Poza de Ballesteros and Valdeginés. Dark and brooding in style, it has plenty of spice on the nose which mingles gently alongside the ripe yet fresh fruit. The tannins are chunky and encompassing, providing a sturdy frame for the multi-layered blueberry, red cherry and raspberry fruit. The finish is very long and seamless, this will age beautifully.
Martyn Rolph, Private Account Manager

La Poza de Ballesteros, the second of the three single vineyard sites faces Valdeginés in the San Ginés Valley, its west exposition engendering a wine with a different character, firmer, denser and with more stentorian tannins.

Biurco is a vineyard that we have enjoyed visiting over the years; it has a tranquillity and beauty and, predominately west-facing, is particularly attractive in the evening. The soil is homogenised clay and limestone, and the wine is marked by the charm of its aromas; violets, truffles and dark chocolate to name but three. If its stablemate Valdeparasio is linear, this wine is more fleshy and noted for both the sweetness of fruit on the palate and the power on the finish with layers of sumptuous ripe red cherry, fresh strawberry and vanilla new oak. Drink 2018-2029

Following the exceptional 2010, the 2011 Altos de Lanzaga was the top of the range until Las Beatas arrived and stole the show. Still you should not overlook this exceptional cuvée from four plots of old, head-pruned vines in the village of Lanciego at 500-600 meters altitude, which are worked biodynamically. The wine fermented in 3,000-kilo oak vats with wild yeasts for 20 days and matured in 1,500 and 225-liter oak barrels for 18 months.

It is a little reticent, very young and a little closed, subtle and a little shy. The palate shows very good flavors of red berries and flowers, plus a great balance between alcohol and acidity that give the wine length and persistence. 2,530 bottles produced.

Telmo Rodriguez and Pablo Eguzkiza work about 18 hectares of vineyards in the villages of Lanciego and Labastida and produce some 45,000 bottles of Rioja per year. Their single-vineyard Las Beatas, in its second vintage, is even better than the debut 2011. As I decided last year after tasting the first vintage of this magnificent vineyard, located not so far from Remelluri, Rodríguez's family winery, I went to see the vines after a colossal snow storm.

You can sense the terroir walking up the terraced plots, you see that place has to produce a special wine. They have some small parcels of old vineyards and are replanting the rest.
94+/100 Luis Gutierrez, eRobertParker.com #218 Apr 2015 

The Cueva is all Tempranillo and is sourced from seven different vineyards, all of which have either sandy clay or calcareous clay soils. Aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak, the 2011 has a powerful nose of ripe blackberry and soft spice; the ripeness is also evident on the palate, which is powerful yet has finely integrated tannins and a hint of balsam on the finish, as one often finds with high quality Tempranillo.
Nicholas Stewart -  Fine Wine Team