La Vallada 2014

The entry-level red 2014 La Vallada is always a little reductive, no matter what Rivière does to the wine, so you need to give it plenty of air, and an energetic decanting might not be a very bad idea. He believes the reductive character might come from the vineyard, and I've found similar flintstone-like aromas in other wines; that character is more noticeable in cooler vintages. 2014 was still a cool vintage, not as cold as 2013, but not that far from it, with a late harvest. He purchases the grapes here, and this year he kept all the wine for one year in used barrels and one further year in vat, to give it an extended élevage. This is quite impressive for the price, a serious red with no noticeable oak and very good freshness. The palate is medium-bodied, a little austere, with that vegetal/fresh side to it. If you're not too bothered about that soil/reductive character, this is one to buy by the case, as it represents very good value. Some 13,000 bottles were filled in September 2016.