Highlights: La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Gran Reserva 2016
Classic, ageworthy and really good. It’s not bad value, either at around £40.
La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Gran Reserva 2016 Rioja, Spain
This is wonderfully aromatic and completely classic, with sweet strawberry and cherry fruit with some coconut and vanilla blending in well. There’s a sweet core of fruit on the palate with red and black cherry, some stewed plum and strawberry, as well as fine spices and a slight chalkiness to the layered texture. Mellow and refined, this is benchmark Gran Reserva Rioja, and is drinking perfectly now although it will develop beautifully over the next couple of decades. The balance is perfect. 95/100
