Beronia Selección 198 Barricas 2020

Beronia was founded in 1973 at Ollauri, in the heart of Rioja Alta, and has long been associated with extended barrel ageing. Selección 198 Barricas is a Reserva built from Tempranillo, the leading grape of the region. Rioja Alta sits high and cool on the upper Ebro, where chalky clay soils and a marked swing between warm days and cold nights ripen the fruit slowly and hold the acidity that gives the wine its backbone. After fermentation the wine matures 24 months in oak, the long Reserva ageing that defines the house style, softening the tannins through steady oxygen exchange and adding cedar, vanilla and a fine toast that settle into the fruit. The colour is deep cherry red. The nose shows ripe plum and dark cherry over sweet spice, tobacco and a cedary oak. The palate is full and structured, the tannins ripe and well integrated after the time in wood, carrying dark fruit, clove and a leathery, savoury depth into a long finish. This is Tempranillo in its classic, age-worthy Rioja form. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant ahead. It suits roast lamb, grilled beef and aged sheep's cheese.