Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi 750ml

Bright, deep ruby color with dark cherry hues on the rim of the glass. It stands out for its intensity, with red fruit aromas (strawberries, raspberries, redcurrant, and cherry) leading to elegant notes of vanilla, toffee, coffee cream, cinnamon, brioche, and hazelnuts. The balance between acidity and alcohol stands out on the palate, with soft, sweet, rounded tannins and a pleasant final sensation.

A pretty nose of raspberries, cassis, fresh herbs, vanilla, and sweet spices. It’s medium-bodied with round tannins. Creamy and fruity with a chocolatey character on the mid-palate. Supple finish with excellent length. Tangy acidity. 100% tempranillo. Drink or hold. 93 pts JS

Their young and fresh red 2018 Viña Alberdi, already a Reserva (Crianza in Spain), matured in oak barrels for two years—in new barrels for the first year and in used barrels for the second year. During the élevage, they racked the wine manually from barrel to barrel four times. 2018 was a year of lower alcohol and more freshness in the wines, and they thought the wines were not designed for the long haul; so, they didn’t produce any other wine, and so the only wine from 2018 IS VIÑA ALBERDI! This means that all the Tempranillo grapes that were destined for 890, 904, and all the other wines went to this wine. They didn’t use the Garnacha (which was sold in bulk). So, this is a super- Viña Alberdi, which shows more Crianza style in this cooler vintage but with very good depth and complexity, perhaps a more modern and fresher style. The wine has a seamless palate and a juicy texture, with more color than other vintages, more intensity, and more fruit… It has grapes from very good vineyards and poor soils that were never destined for this wine. Highly recommendable and very versatile. It has the potential to age. They produced a whopping one million bottles of it. It was bottled in March 2021. 92 pts WA