Tesco, Finest Viña del Cura, Rioja Reserva, Rioja, Spain 2017

Produced for the Finest range by Baron de Ley, this Reserva level wine has spent 18 months in American oak, followed by two years in bottle. Rioja is one of those categories where you can find a good level of evolution and ready-to-enjoy maturity without paying a sky-high premium for it. It wasn't the best vintage in the region, but this 2017 has a mellow, traditional-style Rioja character, with sweet and juicy strawberry fruit flavours and a lick of vanilla cream from the American oak. Very drinkable if that's how you like your Rioja.