Finca La Emperatriz Gran Vino 2016

The top red is the 2016 Finca la Emperatriz Gran Vino Tinto, the finest and most elegant red I remember tasting from the property. It's a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 28% Garnacha and 2% Viura, where Garnacha and the white Viura have an important role to provide some acidity and freshness, even in a cool year when the wines had more natural freshness than in previous vintages. It's a selection from the older vines on sand, gravel and boulder limestone soils from La Emperatriz estate, and it fermented destemmed with some 60% uncrushed grapes in concrete vats and matured in 60% new French barriques and the rest in used American oak barrels for 18 months. It's classical Rioja but with clean and precise aromas and flavors, still young. 41,876 bottles, 660 magnums and some large formats produced. It was bottled in June 2018. It should develop nicely in bottle.

The Hernáiz brothers used to make a range of top reds from their estate, but have now scaled them down to this impressive, co-fermented blend of Tempranillo with 28% Garnacha and a  splash of Viura. The  oak is quite assertive, but the underlying wine is refreshing, fine and well balanced, with plum and red cherry fruit and some sweet, aromatic vanilla spice.

Dried mirabelle plums and persimmon here, as well as some dried cloves and spices. Medium-bodied, fleshy and quite peachy with some pastry notes to close. Drink now.