La Vendimia is a very affordable Rioja made by a great winemaker Alvaro Palacios. Palacios is considered one of the great talents along with Peter Sisseck of Pingus that have defined a generation of cutting edge Spanish winemakers. Alvaro studied enology in Bordeaux, while working under Jean-Pierre Moueix at Ch. Pétrus. This along with the amazing quality of most all his wines, are reasons alone to seek out this wine and try it for yourself.

The wine is composed of %50 Garnacha and 50% Tempranillo and has a deep red color and a bouquet that shows layers of strawberry candy and hints of vanilla. Very "new world" in it's approach, this wine offers a flavor profile chalk full of strawberry and blackberry fruits. There is also a noted presence of oak and a rustic layer as well that help the wine to establish further complexity. The alcohol seems to protrude a bit on the finish but this seems to be the only major flaw. A very nice and inexpenssive wine that met my expectations. 87-88 points

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS WINE