Olivier Riviere Losares 2018

Losares is made by Olivier Riviere, a French winemaker trained in Bordeaux and at Domaine Leroy in Burgundy before he settled in Logroño to work with Telmo Rodríguez. This is his single estate Rioja, from his own old vineyard planted in 1930 at Navaridas in Rioja Alavesa. The vines sit on sandy limestone soil at 700 metres, where altitude brings a wide day to night temperature swing that slows ripening and locks in acidity and aromatic detail. The blend leads with Graciano and Mazuela alongside Tempranillo, two old Rioja varieties that bring colour, firm tannin and a savoury, herbal character. Old vines give low yields and concentrated fruit. The wine is aged twelve months in 500-litre French oak barrels, a larger format than the standard barrica that gives gentler, slower oak influence and keeps the fruit clear. The colour is deep ruby. The nose shows dark cherry and plum with liquorice, dried herbs and a graphite edge. The palate is structured and savoury, with firm but fine tannin, bright acidity and a long mineral finish. Serve at 17 degrees and decant an hour ahead. It calls for roast and grilled red meats.