Vina Arana Gran Reserva Rioja 2015 La Rioja Alta

As always, Viña Arana delivers. Sitting alongside 890 & 904, this wine offers earlier drinking than its bigger siblings. Grippy tannins with a brilliant array of ripe red fruits and black cherry, there’s a sweet coconutty vanilla nose, with cinnamon and toasted coffee-bean notes. This wine is drinking beautifully now, though it has the quality to develop much further in the bottle for those of you who like the more earthy, meaty, mushroom undernotes that come with maturity. Drink now to 2030

"Aromas of dark plum, raspberry, mocha, mushroom, chocolate, mocha, coconut and cigar box. Full-bodied with ripe, fine tannins and bright acidity. Balanced and supple with a velvety texture. Coffee notes on the long, succulent finish. 95% tempranillo and 5% graciano. Drink or hold." 95/100 - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (Oct 2021)

"Graciano helps our Gran Reservas to age, says Julio Sáenz of this blend with 94% Tempranillo. Still youthful, this is a classic expression of the perfumed, American oak-influenced La Rioja Alta style, with notes of coconut and sweet baking spices, fine tannins and refreshing underlying acidity. Drink 2023-2030" 94/100 - Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com (Jan 2022)