Roda I Reserva 2020

Bodegas Roda is a contemporary winery built into a nineteenth-century cellar in the Barrio de la Estacion in Haro, the heart of Rioja Alta, where deep underground galleries known as calados hold a constant cool temperature and high humidity ideal for ageing. Roda I is a Reserva led by Tempranillo with Graciano, drawn from old vineyards in the cooler, higher western part of Rioja, where the continental climate with Atlantic influence ripens the fruit slowly and keeps the acidity firm. The wine ages sixteen months in French oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange through the staves softens the tannins and adds vanilla, sweet spice and a cedary frame, while the Graciano contributes colour, acidity and a savoury lift. It is deep ruby, with a nose of ripe red and dark fruit, tobacco, liquorice and toasted oak. The palate is structured and refined, with fine-grained tannins, savoury fruit and a long, balanced finish that reflects the cool-climate Rioja Alta style. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant young bottles. It suits roast lamb, beef and game.