Lan Gran Reserva 2017

LAN takes its name from the provinces of Logroño, Ávila and Navarra and sits in Fuenmayor in Rioja Alta, home to one of the largest barrel cellars in the world. This Gran Reserva is mostly Tempranillo with Mazuela, the Rioja name for Cariñena, which lends acidity and grip. Rioja Alta has a cooler, partly Atlantic-influenced climate and limestone-clay soils that hold water through the dry summer and keep the fruit fresh, the basis of the region's long-lived reds. The wine ages 28 months in oak followed by 36 months in bottle, a regime that demands ripe, structured fruit. Extended barrel time allows slow oxygen ingress to soften tannins and turn primary fruit towards savoury, dried-fruit and spice characters, while the long bottle rest knits everything together before release. The colour shows a brick edge from age. The nose is mature and spicy, with ripe plum and blackberry over leather, tobacco and vanilla from the oak. The palate is medium to full, the tannins resolved and fine, finishing dry and savoury with sweet spice. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant. It is built for roast lamb and aged cheese.