Bodega Roda – Roda I, Rioja DOC, Spain 2006
Intense, deep, black cherry red background with bright red cherry red hues in the rim. On the nose their is great balance between the oak and the fruit, in particular black plums, with some dark chocolate and sweet spices on a background of stark minerality showing through, providing a very elegant and complex bouquet. Medium bodied but showing great lenght. Mouth filling without weighing you down. The ripe black plum fruit shines together with some cocoa and dark chocolate blending perfectly with the sweet tannins from the oak. A very elegant, pleasing wine to the palate. Beautifully balanced, silky smooth, arousing an inviting moreish feeling that makes it a great food companion
Aged in 50% brand new and 50% second use French oak barrels. 16 months in barrels and 20 months cellaring in bottle. Bottled April 2008.
Bodegas Navajas – Rioja Crianza, 2015
Navajas get their hands on some of the finest fruit from region’s best vineyards and make an excellent traditional Rioja which combines attractive oaky, leathery flavours with fresh, bright fruit and supple palate.
Harpers (30th Jun 2014) (2010 vintage)
“Textbook smooth and sleek Rioja.”- Heather Dougherty
Bodegas Navajas
A family winery originally founded in 1918 as Bodegas Arjona but in 1983 the Navajas family become the sole stockholders, changing its name to Bodegas Navajas
The year 2000 was a turning point in the Bodegas history when they invested in enlarging and improving the winery and cellars with a new barrel-aging area and new modern facilities equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The Navajas family believe that the quality of the wine begins in the vineyards and for this reason they monitor and control the vineyards which belongs to their growers in Rioja Alta and Baja.
El Coto Crianza DOC Rioja 2013
– The nose is fresh and pronounced with excellent fruit concentration. The palate is clean and well balanced, with a core of strawberry fruit combined with subtle vanilla flavours from American oak. The finish is juicy and long.
Finca La Emperatriz – Reserva, Rioja DOC, Spain 2012
A ruby red wine, very brilliant, with medium to high colour intensity and slightly tinted legs. Very intense on the nose, with initially complex, mineral aromas originating from the soil. This is followed by notes reminiscent of cigar boxes and sweet dairy products, with a hint of black fruits and orange peel; very elegant. Very intense in the mouth; a spirited wine with good acidity and medium strength on the palate. A friendly, enveloping sensation in the mouth, with a fruity and mildly spiced finish. Enjoy with Stews and casseroles.
Bodegas la Emperatriz
Bodegas la Emperatriz is great find. A picturesque estate in the heart of Rioja Alta which has been winning awards since the Paris Universal Exposition of 1878, when it was owned by the last empress of France, Eugenia de Montijo. Now owned by the Hernaiz family since 1996, the estate boasts 67 years old vine Garnacha and Viura, and produces Rioja’s only single estate Crianza. Their wines have proved a huge hit with wine critics across the globe and are widely listed in Madrid’s Michelin starred restaurants.
Gran Dominio Reserva DOC Rioja 2010
– Abundant aromas of red fruits and vanilla follow onto a velvety palate with notes of blackcurrant and blackberry.
La Bascula – Catalan Eagle Branco Terra Alta (organic), 2017
Catalan Eagle white is 70% Garnacha Blanca, 20% Viognier and 10% Roussanne. Pale straw colour with an aromatic nose of peach, pear and hints of spice. On the palate, the wine is medium to full bodied, with a refreshing acidity and elements of peach, apricot and lime zest.
La Bascula – Catalan Eagle Red, Terra Alta, 2016
Savoury, minerally flavours from old vine Garnacha and Cariñena are complemented by the smokiness and backbone of the Syrah and Cabernet. A month’s contact with French Oak staves adds a touch of vanilla and complexity.
La Bascula – The Charge Rioja DOC, 2014
The Charge red is made from grapes from all over the Rioja region – 75% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha. Aromas of berries and warm spices which leads to a palate with beautifully complex dark and spicy fruit and refreshing acidity, balanced by fine vanilla flavours from oak maturation, as well as hints of coffee.
La Rioja Alta SA Gran Reserva 904 – Rioja DOC 2009
– Outstandingly intense cherry-red; clean and bright. The nose reveals a bouquet of great aromatic complexity, with balsamic notes of vanilla, toasted caramel, mint chocolate, tea leaves and cinnamon that gives way to elegant notes of stewed fruits and prunes. Creamy well-balanced mouthfeel, with a harmonious freshness and smooth, well-tamed tannins that leave an elegant complex finish.
Macán Clásico, Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia, Rioja DOC 2014/15
– 2015 – The sweetness of the 2015 vintage is evident in this Macán Clásico with its ripe bramble nose but there is an intriguingly scented note to the bouquet which makes it extremely attractive. Full of crunchy, fresh red fruit, this is a refreshing, elegant and moreish Rioja. The tannins are all in evidence; they are pert yet incredibly fine suggesting that, whilst this can be enjoyed now, it has the structure of a much more serious wine.
Marqués de Cáceres Blanco Rioja DOC 2018
– A hugely aromatic wine expressing intense flavours of apples and pears with a light floral background. On the palate a freshness and vivacity comes through with an additional handful of lavish fruit.
Marqués de Cáceres Gran Reserva Rioja DOC 2010
– This wine is only made in “excellent” or “very good” vintages. It undergoes nearly two-and-a-half years ageing in highest quality oak barrels, followed by further ageing in bottle before release. Showing great complexity with notes of roasted coffee, spice, plum and strawberry. Powerful in the mouth with fleshy fruit and nuances of toasty, well-integrated oak leading to a long, balanced finish. Can be drunk now with grilled meats or game, or cellared successfully for the next 10 years.
Marqués de Cáceres Reserva Rioja DOC 2012
– Attractive colour with luminous highlights. Soft spice and refined oak on the nose with a depth of jammy red berry fruits. Luscious and intense on tasting with pleasant tannins that mingle with fresh and mature fruit. Finishes with delicious, long-lasting flavours.
No Stone Unturned, 2015
The wine comes from the very best plots of our friend Pepe Fuster’s stone covered 26 hectare vineyard in Terra Alta in Catalonia, north-eastern Spain. The Garnacha vines are nearly 50 years old and this age gives the wine great concentration an complexity of dark, spicy, blackberry fruit which has been seasoned and enhanced by 10 months in the finest new Dargaud & Jaegle oak barrels from France.
Set, Vino Tinto Artesano, 2015
This wine is a 100% Garnatxa from vineyard just outside the village of Torroja in the Priorat region of Catalonia. the word SET mean thirst in Catalan and is a reference to the fact that, because of the landscape, the roots of the vines have to dig deep to find water resulting in really low yields of characterful, amazing quality grapes. Only 842 bottles of this wine exist in the world!
Turret Fields DO Jumilla Monastrell & Syrah, 2014/15
The name comes from the turret of Castle Madax which dominates the vineyard of the same name.
Working with the excellent Bodegas Juan Gil, the wine was aged for 4 months in new American oak barrels. The raisin character and warmth of the Monastrell is matched by the spice of the Syrah, all enhanced and rounded off by its spell in oak.
Viña Real DOC Rioja 2015
– Ripe and richly fruity wine with rich aromas of fruit cake and spice, smooth and supple in the mouth with perfectly integrated oak, a rounded silky texture and smooth tannins, all supported by a lovely weight of fruit.