2019 Bodega Lanzaga Rioja La Estrada

"Such a nuanced yet tangy red with an engaging nose, effusing finely ground black peppercorn with lavender and blueberries. Pure, scented, and really focused. Full-bodied, but dry and intellectual, piled up with immaculate tannins that soak up the juicy, elegant berry fruit. From organically grown grapes. Mainly tempranillo with some graciano. Drinkable now, but better after 2025." - James Suckling Review Date: November 2022

"The single-vineyard 2019 La Estrada was produced with the field blend of grapes from a northeast-facing 0.64-hectare plot planted in the 1940s, one of the highest vineyards in the village of Lanciego at 610 meters above sea level. In this low-yielding year, the grapes were picked the 12th of October, then fermented in an open-top 3,000-liter oak vat with indigenous yeasts and matured in a combination of foudres and barriques for 14 to 16 months. This wine feels very harmonious and austere for a warm and generous vintage. It has more tannin. This is almost 100% Tempranillo, so this has earthier tannins that will evolve into a long wine with years in the bottle. Elegant rusticity. 1,972 bottles were filled in May 2021." - Luis Gutierrez Review Date: July 2022