2010 Lanzaga Rioja Bodega Lanzaga Telmo Rodriguez

Aromas of red licorice with green olives, sage bush and plums. Full body, chewy and round tannins. Lots of fruit. From a vineyard planted in the occidental part of Rioja Alavesa in a village called Lanziego. Structured. Drink or hold.

The 2010 Lanzaga from vineyards in Lanciego is the 12th vintage for this brand, but there was a big change in 2008 when they built their new winery. All wines are fermented in concrete and aged in foudre and barrique. For Telmo, the tiny Lanciego is the last Mediterranean village in Rioja Alavesa, the last one to have olive trees as well as the first Atlantic one where the crop is cereal, so it has a complexity of climate and a variety of red soils with sand underneath (approx one meter) and then the pure calcite that produces very elegant and complex wines. The 2010 version of Lanzaga is aromatically very pure and complex, with fine, polished tannins, some austerity and a strong personality. It develops some fennel, licorice and aniseed aromas, displaying its Mediterranean side with time, while it was truly Atlantic when uncorked. The nose is spectacular after an hour in the glass, so I'd open and decant it in advance if you are planning to drink it in the short term. 40,000 bottles were produced. Drink 2014-2020.

Brilliant ruby. The nose delivers an array of ripe red fruit and floral scents, along with hints of allspice, pipe tobacco and smoky minerals. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering gently sweet, concentrated black raspberry and cherry-vanilla flavors that tighten up in the mid-palate. Combines power and finesse with a deft hand and finishes spicy and very long, with supple tannins building slowly and adding grip.