Finca Cristo de Samaniego 2018

A medium-bodied Rioja with some dusted plums, tobacco, graphite and allspice to the nose. Elegant palate with a fine and tight rounding of chalky tannins leading to a subtle yet layered finish. Pretty long and nuanced. Drink or hold.

The 2018 El Cristo de Samaniego comes in a large Burgundy bottle with a modern label. It's a "Viñedo Singular" bottling from a 40-year-old vineyard in Samaniego planted with a field blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Viura and Malvasía in a cool place on white and red sandy soils. It fermented in concrete and matured in second and third use 225-liter oak barrels for 14 months, including malolactic. The wine is creamy, ripe and velvety, with a luxurious texture and floral notes, quite harmonious and elegant. It's clean and modern and has integrated oak. 7,148 bottles were filled in September 2020.