Bodegas Ramon Bilbao, Mirto, Rioja 2004

A great vintage and a lovely wine. Aromas of cedar and vanilla lead on to a palate of plush red fruit with a bright brambly acidity. The finish is fresh, with notes of cherry and liquorice.

Another excellent year: an extended growing season with cool nights focussing flavour and fostering linearity on the palate. As with the 2001, the 2004 was sourced from fruit from the Abelos vineyard in the Alavesa. This example is a little less composed than the 2001, a little tighter and more chewy, its sheer weight of dark fruit and spice underwriting a more than promising future, however.