Spanish Reds Lineup – Premium Edition
- Mixed
- Various
This pack shows off the premium side of Spain. A lineup of Rioja reds, along with a blend from the super-premium region of Priorat. This is a collection to decant and savour - wines that are as complex as they are delicious - they are all aged to perfection and ready to go.
Each pack includes ONE of the following:
Red
-
- Tempranillo
-
- Rioja
- Tempranillo
- Rioja
Cune are one of the top producers in Rioja Alta, leading this pack with style. In their Reserva, tempranillo is the star (no surprises), and local grapes graciano and mazuelo play a supporting role, adding depth and complexity. The carefully selected grapes are fermented, then raised in French and American oak for 24 months. The bottles are then stored in perfect conditions for 36 months ageing, where fruit, oak and acid come together. Here's what James Suckling had to say about the wine: "Aromas of plum and meat with a wet earth and hints of cedar. Medium body, very fine tannins. Juicy and delicious now. Not a big wine but ready and savoury."
Red
-
- Grenache
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- Rioja
- Grenache
- Rioja
Old vine grenache from Rioja is a tempting prospect at the best of times, and when it tastes like this it’s damn near irresistible. Grown at 800m of elevation, that lofty position ensures freshness and liveliness to the fruit. Time (but not too long) in French and American oak have added power and warmth to the wine, but do not dominate. Ravishing cherries and blueberries dominate, backed by crackles of spice and a satisfying finish. Old grenache vines imbue a wine with a magic all its own, so long as you don’t get in the way. The magic is alive and well here.
Red
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- Red Blend
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- Priorat
- Red Blend
- Priorat
Where Rioja is all about tempranillo, Priorat champions the red blend, with local and French varieties grown in their famed Llicorella soils. If you are a bit of a soil nerd or geology buff, do yourself a favour and google Llicorella to learn about the reddish and black carboniferous slate (with mica and quartzite) soils. It’s these soils where the vines need to bury deep within the earth to access water and it’s a journey that adds to the strain of the vines and resulting mineral character in the wine.
Red
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- Red Blend
-
- Rioja
- Red Blend
- Rioja
Burgo Viejo are a classic Rioja producer who follow the region wine classification and craft an old-school style, with heaps of Old World charm. To achieve Reserva classification, a wine required a minimum of 36 months ageing, of which 12 months must be in barrel. In the hierarchy of classification, Reserva Rioja sits in a nice spot, with more integrated oak than a Crianza and more fruit power than a Gran Reserva. This wine has an autumnal nose and nice energy on the palate. It is spice driven with red fruits, dried herbs, fennel, tobacco, vanilla and smoky sweet spices. It’s mellow, complex and with a medium body, will suit all kinds of food.
Red
-
- Tempranillo
-
- Rioja
- Tempranillo
- Rioja
Bodega Marqués del Silvo farm old vine, high altitude vineyards along the Ebro River in Spain’s famed La Rioja region. With a long history in the area, they craft very classy tempranillo-based wines, aged to perfection to achieve DO classification. In the case of this Gran Reserva, it sees 30 months in French and American oak (medium-toast) and a further 24 months in bottle. The resulting wine is a sturdy core of plum and berry fruit that is complimented by oak tannin and a herbaceous finish. A few tertiary characteristics are peeking through, but this is still a very fruit-driven wine.
Red
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- Tempranillo
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- Rioja DOC
- Tempranillo
- Rioja DOC
This is top-notch Rioja. You can tell just by looking at it. It looks somehow livelier in the glass, more vital and intense. Tempranillo and garnacha make up the mix here (90/10%), singing of juicy cherries and plums. Oak treatment comprises of a 70-30 French-American split, giving darker toasty notes and a background coconuty hint. The wine is deep and complex, but also fun and never too imposing. For fans of the 2016, this new vintage is a touch more concentrated, as it contains declassified barrels of some of their top sites.