Rioja 2021 (Dominio de Anza)

Cellar for up to 20 years. Decant for 2 hours before serving. This red Rioja wine is loaded with aromas of black cherry, plum jam, orange zest, and a pungent spice mixture. It is a blend, mostly made from the Tempranillo grape, though the Graciano spice is also evident on the nose. Maturana and the white grapes Malvasia and Viura fill out the rest of the mix. Dominio de Anza was founded żeby Diego Magana, the son of esteemed wine-maker Raul Perez, who owns the famous Navarre winery, Vina Magana. Although the region of Bierzo is Diego’s home base, he has also owned some parcels of land in Rioja Alavesa since 2016. This is Diego Magana’s entry into Rioja, an accessible wine sourced from 60-year-old vines spread across five tiny plots. Dominio de Anza’s Rioja coats the mouth in velvety tannins and intense cherry flavours. Ripe plum, smoke and leather can also be discovered, surfing a vein of acidity into a long, mineral finish. It has an intense profile, laden with dark fruits, but it is also elegant and smooth in the mouth. It’s fresh, and less oaky than many of its serious Rioja counterparts. Pair it with spicy sausages, a selection of tapas, or a red meat dish.