Rioja Oriental: Field’s mixed dozen

1 Ontañón, Vetiver Viura 2017 90 £8.50-£ 11.50 All About Wine, Amps, John Hattersley, Rannoch Scott, WoodWinters

Organic. Viura can be a little anonymous, but not here. A combination of old-vine fruit and four months in American oak have coaxed out wonderfully complex yet idiosyncratic flavours of beeswax, quince, honeycomb and a whole lot more. Terrific value. Drink 2020-2024 Alcohol 12.5%

Ramón Bilbao, Lalomba Rosado 2018 88 £ 18.15-£ 23.50 Enotria& Coe, Exel, GP Brands, Great Western Wine, Great Wines Direct, The Fine Wine Co

A pearlescent pink colour. Attractive aromatics of freshly cut flowers, small red berries and even a hint of Seville orange. The palate is poised and delicate, with the faintest whisper of tannin, confirming gastronomic potential. Try it with salmon tartare. Drink 2020 Alc 13.5% 2 Arizcuren, Solo Garnacha 2015 94 £ 34 Sommelier’s Choice UK

Javier Arizcuren’s homage to Garnacha has a purity born of old-vine fruit sourced high on the northern slopes of Monte Yera. The acidity of the resulting wine laces a magnificent structure with notes of griotte and briary fruit, for a dignified yet beautifully complex mid-palate. Organic. Drink 2020-2028 Alc 13% Arizcuren, Solo Mazuelo 2015 93 £ 34 Sommelier’s Choice UK

Organic. A rare gem, this Mazuelo (France’s Carignan) has been cultivated at

500m in the hills above the village of Quel and aged for four months in 500-litre French and American vats. Intense and smoky, the wine is supercharged without being over-extracted, meaty without being vulgar, refreshing without being dissolute.

Drink 2020-2030 Alc 13.5%

Burgo Viejo, Palacio del Burgo

2014 92

£ 15.81 Vinatis

American and French oak, both old, have nurtured a richly seductive wine; cassis and compote, hints of vanilla, balsam and violets, then a warm, generous texture and engaging finish. The producer’s Licenciado Reserva 2016 did well in the Affordable Rioja panel tasting (see p97). Drink 2020-2025 Alc 13% Isidro Milagro, 5 Oros Vendimia Seleccionada Graciano 2015 92 £ 15 Lanchester Wines

Another star performer in the Affordable Rioja panel tasting. Plush, herbal, and a little more textured and layered than other Gracianos. Tobacco, briary fruit and plum, with nice concentration and crisp acidity holding the palate together with great aplomb. Drink 2020-2024 Alc 14% 3 Palacios Remondo, La Montesa Crianza 2016 92 £ 17.95 Berry Bros & Rudd

The homecoming of Alvaro Palacios was greeted with fanfare and a reappraisal of his family’s winemaking style. Now the grapes are sourced from higher in the hills, yields are lower and oaking is minimal. The result is fresh and pure, a symphony of red fruit with a backdrop of soft spice and silk. Drink 2020-2024 Alc 13.5%

Ontañón, Crianza 2015 91 £ 10-£ 11.50 Blas ar Fwyd, John Hattersley, ND John, Rannoch Scott, WoodWinters

Aromas of bramble fruit with spice and lightly floral notes. On the palate, plum and blackberry flavours are given focus by lively acidity, courtesy of the Graciano, then minerality and notes of spice and forest floor. The combination of French and American oak lends complexity. Organic. Drink 2020-2023 Alc 13.5%

4 D Mateos, Colección de Familia, La Mateo Cepas Viejas Garnacha 2015 90

N/A UK www. bodegasmateos.com

Garnacha can be quite alcoholic, so it’s worth considering this special bottling, aged for 18 months in French barrique and weighing in at an impressive 15%, yet still silky and supple, with red and black fruits dancing an impressive pas de deux. The oak, previously prominent, shows all signs of making a dignified strategic retreat. All in all, promising. Drink 2022-2030 Alc 15% Viña Herminia, Reserva 2012 89 £ 11.10 Vinissimus

Aged for 18 months in a combination of French and American oak, its fruit sourced mainly from the slopes of Monte Argudo in the eastern sector of Oriental. The combination of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano is thrilling, the velvety texture rejoined to creamy oak, with vibrant flavours dominated by myrtle and cassis. Drink 2020-2023 Alc 13.5%

Navarrsotillo, Magister Bibendi Garnacha Crianza 2016 87

N/A UK www. navarrsotillo.com

Organic to its roots and a beautiful expression of Garnacha’s red-fruit personality. Cherry and redcurrant to the fore, then cranberry and Alpine strawberries, and finally a lick of white pepper cleansing the palate. The 2016 vintage was less intense and warm than its predecessor; this wine shows off the virtues of the year. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 14.5% Real Rubio, Crianza 2015 87 £ 14.99 Hard to Find Wines

The Aldeanueva terroir is a mix of alluvial silt and clay. It favours youthful Tempranillo, yet here, with spicy, racy Graciano (20%) and the alchemy of French and American oak vats, the wine is transformed. Both sweet and savoury, with a balsamic lift and a velvety texture.

Drink 2020-2023 Alc 14%