Gómez Cruzado Viña Dorana Reserva 2018

Gómez Cruzado Viña Dorana Reserva is made in Haro, in the station neighbourhood of the Rioja Alta where many of the region's classic houses sit. Founded in 1886, the winery draws on vineyards across three zones of the Rioja Alta, in the Sierra de Cantabria, Najerilla and Alto Najerilla, all farmed sustainably. The wine blends Tempranillo with Garnacha from these higher, cooler sites, where chalky clay soils and altitude preserve acidity and give the fruit its freshness and finesse. After fermentation the wine is aged for eighteen months in French and American oak barrels. That long élevage allows slow oxygen exchange through the staves to soften the tannins and integrate the wood, while malolactic conversion rounds the acidity into a supple texture and the barrel builds the leather, tobacco and sweet spice that mark traditional Rioja. The colour is a mature ruby. The nose shows ripe red cherry and berry fruit, leather, dried herbs and vanilla, and the palate is medium to full bodied, savoury and elegant, with fine grained tannin and a long fresh finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees. A natural with roast lamb and aged cheese.