Urbina, Reserva Especial, Rioja

Wonderful wine. Elegance with persistence or aromas . Very good now but with some years to improve it. Very alive!

Such an inviting nose of strawberry, raspberry, cherry, and tobacco, with lovely floral qualities showing through as well. I find an herbaceousness develops on old Rioja and it is no different here, however it isn't overpowering which I find can often be a flaw. Palate has solid red fruit, still surprisingly fresh, herbs and spice, and some savoury qualities. There seems to be a mix of French and American oak, which is a nice touch as it isn't overwhelmed by …

Inviting nose of flowers, leafiness and soft red fruits. Medium bodied on the palate, loads of structure and complexity, showing ceps, truffles, beautifully composed red fruits and a fair bit of tobacco. Drinking beautifully at this stage although I wouldn't leave it much longer.

Wow, what a beauty. A warm brown overall colour, smoky and raisins on the nose. Soft fruits with caramels surrounding it, just over the peak but still very enjoyable indeed. Mid palate almost smoky and very gentle - tannins all gone but still fruit led - a surprising acidity on the length. We re stoppered the bottle between helpings because it was obvious it would fade too fast. We ate salmon fillets with a sauce made from oil, creamed horseradish …

A blend of 95% Tempranillo & 5% Mazeulo & Graciano - harvested by hand from 50+ year old vines on 10th October 1997, aged in new French oak for 12 months, with a further 6 months spent in oak approx 7 years old. Almost brown in colour with a brick edge. On the nose it's a very intense wine (I can smell it almost a foot away) with typical notes of spice, vanilla, red cherries, though there's also a lovely …