Inky ruby. Youthfully reduced dark berry and cherry skin aromas open to offer smoky minerals, flowers and cola. Taut, finely etched blackcurrant and bitter cherry flavors are impressively fresh, with slow-building tannins adding grip. The finish is tangy and long, echoing the berry skin note. This is maturing at a snail's pace and deserves plenty of patience.

The Cuvee Especial is 100% Tempranillo from older vines. The wine was aged 14 months in used French and American oak and then spent 4 months in new French oak before being bottled unfiltered. This traditionally styled Rioja offers a lovely perfume of cedar, spice box, vanilla, tobacco, cherry, and red currants. On the palate the wine is chunky and narrows out a bit, perhaps due to the extra oak treatment. It could also use more depth and concentration. Nevertheless, it is a solid achievement for this vintage.