Tasting: Specially Selected Rioja Reserva

Name: 2018 Specially Selected Rioja Reserva

Variety: Tempranillo

Region: Rioja, Spain

Country: Spain

Year: 2018

Price: $8.99

Winery Review: This wine has been made with handpicked Tempranillo grapes from our best vineyards in Rioja. A well-balanced wine with red fruit flavors, hints of black current and cherry and aromas of vanilla and oak from 30 months of barrel aging. 

Vivino Rating: 3.8 stars

Wine Folly: Pg. 175: Tempranillo. This popular Spanish wine has common tasting notes of cherry, dried fig, cedar, tobacco, and dill. This wine is relatively high in tannic structure, acidity, alcohol, and body. It is very low on sweetness. It is meant to be decanted for over an hour before consuming.

My Review: I thought this was okay. I had a good Tempranillo a couple of weeks ago during the wine dinner, and I really liked that one! This one had main tasting notes of black currant, cherry, oak, and vanilla. I thought that it was very aromatic, but it did not have a lot of mouth feel. It was lacking in tannic and acidic structure so it left a lot to be desired. I thought the bouquet on the nose and the very initial taste if the wine was really good, but again I wish it was more tannic or something to really pack the punch. Overall I give it a meh, but I give it bonus points for the unique cage-like packaging.

Wine Tasting Night! Morgan and Me!