Klein Constantia: stellar whites, sweet and dry 
Marqués de Riscal: Gehry hotel outshining solid Rioja and Rueda 
La Rioja Alta: benchmark classical Riojas especially top flight Gran Reservas 
Marqués de Murrieta: Rioja aristocracy built around Castillo Ygay 
CVNE: Combining volume and classical quality 
Contino: Château-style Rioja and Graciano pioneers 
£??; 15%
A pity that this is being written 2½ months after drinking, but I have 2 more bottles to verify with! Deep, deep colour, from garnet-purple to a garnet rim. Intense blackberry aromas with some beautiful development of complexity. Full-bodied, and – really noticeably – full of legs. But the alcohol wasn’t intrusive. Stood up to a venison dish with rich sauce, if memory serves. Very good – definitely lived-up to expectations.
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