Murua Reserva 2015

The 72ha Viña Lanciano vineyard sits in a privileged location, in a curve in the Ebro river. The vines dig deep to find nutrients on this pebble-strewn former riverbed. Grapes for this estate wine were harvested and sorted by hand, with maximum extraction ensured by fermentation in small, cone-shaped stainless steel tanks and long maceration. Sarah Jane Evans MW: Restrained nose, showing French oak and rich blackberry fruit. A deep and complex palate, with juicy tannins and a long, complex finish. Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: Full of dark fruit and spice notes, oak well integrated now, apparent but not dominant. Long, characterful finish with fine freshness. Pierre Mansour: Woody, dark fruit and cedar smoke notes, with round, soft, creamy oak. An intense wine that has fine-textured tannins and a long, oaky, fruity finish.

A Rioja that has just started to show a little maturity. Still quite primary, though, with sweet plums, fresh blackberries, vanilla spices and a hint of tobacco savoriness. Juicy and flavorful, rounded by silky tannins in a medium to full body. So balanced and bright. Drink or hold.

I also tasted the 2015 Reserva, a bottling I had not encountered for a while. It keeps an updated traditional profile that they keep for six or seven years before releasing. It's mostly Tempranillo with around 8% Graciano and Mazuelo and has 14% alcohol and good freshness and balance. It's from a powerful vintage and matured in French and American oak barrels for 20 months. It's slowly getting polished by the bottle. 120,200 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2018.