Beronia, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, 2009

Aged in French oak for 27 months and a further 36 months in bottle, this wine has a subtle nose of exotic spices, fragrant wood and cherry. Fine grained tannins are followed by an intense, super-ripe wave of red fruits, with a vanillin sweetness. This intensity tails off a little on the mid-palate, but is likely to open up a bit if paired with roast lamb or given more time in the bottle. There is beautiful precision in the character of this wine, balanced all the way through by a well judged acidity.