Vina Alberdi
by La Rioja Alta S.A.
Reserva Tempranillo
Rioja, Spain
2018
Tasting Notes:
Bright, deep ruby color with dark cherry hues on the rim of the glass. It stands out for its intensity, with red fruit aromas (strawberries, raspberries, redcurrant and cherry) leading to elegant notes of vanilla, toffee, coffee cream, cinnamon, brioche and hazelnuts. The balance between acidity and alcohol stands out on the palate, with soft, sweet, rounded tannins and a pleasant final sensation.
Grape Varietals:
100% Tempranillo
Story
Always evolving quality, elegance, innovation, evolution... They are the pillars on which the five founding families erected La Rioja Alta S.A. in 1890. Drawing the best from winemaking tradition and wisdom — own cooperage, manual racking, long ageing periods, etc.— and combining it with the most modern winemaking technology.
Vina Alberdi is a second label for La Rioja Alta S.A. and is meant to be consumed within a few years, wines from this label are not meant for typical long term aging.
Cheese Pairing
This is Spain's most popular raw sheep's milk cheese. It comes from Toledo in the La Mancha area where this artisanal version by the Corcuera Family.
A sheep’s milk cheese specifically from the milk of the Manchega sheep. Aged 12 months Manchego is softly herbaceous, zesty, salty and nutty with butterscotch undertones. The basket weave imprint is typical of all Manchegos, meant to recreate the traditional grass molds used in the cheese making process.
Somm's Notes
When people are just starting to explore "Old World" (France, Italy, Spain, etc.) wines, I encourage them to start with Spain. Spanish wines can be made in a style that is approachable, but has hints of Old World influence. It's also fairly easy to find wines with some age to it - which is almost mandatory for the many red wines from the Old World.
Insight from Robert Parker about this particular vintage: "2018 was a year of lower alcohol and more freshness in the wines, and they thought the wines were not designed for the long haul; so, they didn't produce any other wine, and so the only wine from 2018 IS VIÑA ALBERDI! Which means that all the Tempranillo grapes that were destined for 890, 904 and all the other wines went to this wine."