Marques de Murrieta, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, 2005

Murrieta Reserva offers a reliable taste of classic Rioja. This has had about 22 months in American oak, the traditional wood for ageing in the region, giving a superb slick of vanilla and adding richness to the cherry fruit. The ripeness of 2005 makes it ready to drink now, though it has plenty of life ahead.