Valenciso Reserva Rioja 2014

This is handpicked Tempranillo from the clay/limestone soils around Haro. The youngest vines that make the grade here are 60 years old! The Reserva naturally ferments in cement vats and the wine is then aged for 19 months in mostly low-toast Radoux, French oak barriques (roughly one-third new). In recent vintages 10% of the wine has been raised in low-toast Caucasus oak, further lessening the wine's (already minimal) oak impact. Following aging in barrel, the wine was transferred back to concrete vats to settle for a further 24 months before release. Luis and Carmen find the wine clarifies so well in concrete that there is no need to fine or filter the wine before bottling. With a modern-classical profile combining freshness, elegance and depth, this is an outstanding, multi-layered and complex release from Valenciso. All class and without question one of the most sophisticated Temranillos being imported in to Australia.