Marques De Riscal Rioja Gran Reserva 2012

This wine offers a bold and stately nose of toasted cedar, dark chocolate, wild sage, spice cake, autumn leaves, and a starring role of dried black cherries. The bouquet develops from simple Red(roasted strawberry, cranberries, cherry confit) to complex dark fruit(black cherry and prunes). The firm palate shows impressively resolved coating the mouth before disappearing into a whisper of sweet grained tannin. It is smooth and round in the mouth, with tannins which are silky and very sweet, adding to the envelopment of the whole palate. The finish is long, lingering, fresh and balanced with a hint of chalky tannins. The 2012 vintage is drought reduced yields; hence this wine has power but doesn't taste clumsy. A nice wine; full-bodied; textured; down-to-earth. Impressive scores: 93 Penin, 94 Antonio Galloni, 95 UMC.