Lealtanza Reserva

Complex and wellbalanced bouquet. Well-layered nose of red raspberry and liquorice accompanied by smoky and spicy notes. It is supple and rich on the palate with a meaty texture and lively fruit. A medium-bodied red wine with soft drying tannins and just enough acidity to make this wine very food friendly.

92 James Suckling
90 Andreas Larsson

Semi-Crianza: Term used to describe wines that have been placed in oak barrels for a few months less than the regulatory requirements.  These wines don’t have the tannin structure or oak flavors that are common in the higher end wines.  What they don’t have in structure they make up for in zippy fruit. Try this level of Rioja as a great example of the true varietal characteristics of Tempranillo wine.

Crianza: Wines aged for 2 years with a minimum of 12 months in oak and 12 months in the bottle before being sold. These wines tend to have more body and strong acid helping them to pair well with your heavier foods – think roast meats and rich sauces.

Reserva: Wines are aged for 3 calendar years with a minimum of 12 months in oak and 24 months in the bottle. Increasing in age, you can expect to find rich and concentrated wines tending towards a silky flavor after softening with age. We like these wines with delicately roasted meats like the renown suckling lamb.

Gran Reserva: These wines are aged for 5 years with a minimum of 24 months in oak and 36 months in the bottle; however many gran reservas will spend several more years aging before being released. For many, these are perceived as the pinnacle of Spanish wine.