2010 Rioja Gran Reserva

Telmo Rodriquez's first vintage on his own.  Deep cherry red. Dark-red fruit and smells immediately much fresher and a lot more than a year younger than the 2009. The tannins are much, much finer, papery layers, and the fruit tastes fresher and with more energy. A notable change from the 2009, much fresher on the finish. (JH)

Deep crimson still. Wild, dark red and fragrant – more fruit and terroir than oak. Bone-dry and very firmly textured. Long, dry and already elegant and refined but nowhere near ready. (JH)

I was really blown away by the 2010 Granja Remelluri Gran Reserva, their take on more classical Rioja; IT is aged in oak for a longer time, but not without having selected grapes from their very best plots that would benefit from the extended élevage. The varietal composition is approximately 75% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% Graciano. Like all of the wines here, it fermented in small stainless steel and oak vats with indigenous yeasts, and then matured in oak barrels for some 26 months. The nose is full of flowers, blood orange, sweet spices, violet pastille and curry. It's very aromatic and perfumed, with the herbs that you find in the Remelluri mountains, rosemary especially. It is extremely attractive, with a nose that makes you go back to it over and over again. This is still very young, but terribly balanced. The tannins are refined and there is a fine thread of acidity going through its core and lifting it up. This could very well be the best vintage of Granja so far. And having seen the improvements in the vineyards, my feeling is that the best is yet to come. Around 20,000 bottles produced.