Rioja Bordón Crianza 2022

Bodegas Franco-Españolas was founded over 125 years ago, when French growers displaced by phylloxera helped establish quality winemaking in La Rioja, and the Bordón name nods to both the pilgrim's staff and that Bordeaux heritage. This Crianza blends Tempranillo with Garnacha in the classic Rioja mould. The vineyards lie in a continental climate tempered by Atlantic and Mediterranean influences, on calcareous-clay soils that retain water through the dry summers and hold acidity in the fruit. The wine ages fourteen months in French and American oak, the minimum for a Rioja Crianza, which softens the tannins through slow oxygen exchange across the staves and brings vanilla, spice and a savoury complexity. The American oak adds sweeter vanilla, the French finer spice. The colour is a deep ruby. The nose shows red berries and cherry with vanilla, dried herbs and a leather and tobacco note from barrel and bottle age. The palate is medium-bodied and balanced, with red fruit, supple tannins and a savoury, oak-spiced finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees. It is a classic match for roast lamb and Manchego.