Ramón Bilbao Reserva Selección de la Familia 2019

Ramón Bilbao traces its roots to Haro in Rioja Alta, where its founder was already selling wine in 1896 before the winery opened officially in 1924. This Reserva is a family selection built in the classic Rioja mould from Tempranillo. Rioja Alta lies at altitude in the cooler, Atlantic-influenced west of the region, where clay-limestone soils and a long, gentle growing season give Tempranillo with fresh acidity, fine tannin and red rather than jammy fruit. The wine spends twenty months in French oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange through the staves softens the tannins and adds vanilla, toast and cedar, while extended bottle ageing before release develops the dried fruit, tobacco and leather that mark a mature Rioja. The colour is medium ruby with a garnet rim. The nose is red cherry and redcurrant over vanilla, dried herbs, tobacco leaf and a savoury, leathery note. The palate is medium to full bodied, balanced and elegant, with supple tannins, bright acidity and a long, gently spiced finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees. It is a natural match for roast lamb and works with grilled beef, mushroom dishes and aged hard cheeses.