Bodegas Hermanos Pecina Finca Iscorta de Pecina Gran Reserva 2015

The 2015 Gran Reserva Finca Iscorta de Pecina is a blend of 95% Tempranillo, 3% Graciano and 2% Garnacha sourced from the Labastida area in Rioja Alavesa. Aged for 48 months in American oak barrels, this deeply hued wine reveals enticing aromas of plum, cherry, bay leaf and thyme, with subtle hints of coconut and vanilla. On the palate, it offers a dry, creamy and plush texture, characterized by a chalky mouthfeel that lingers with a satisfying clinginess. This well-balanced red showcases a New World approach.

A more modern Gran Reserva from a single vineyard, the 2015 Finca Iscorta de Peciña Gran Reserva was produced with the grapes from a 50-year-old vineyard, fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel with a moderate extraction and short-ish maceration. It matured in used American oak barrels for four years and was racked every six months. It's a little darker, the color and the fruit profile, and it's intensely balsamic, with notes of camphor and abundant spicy notes. It's solid and seamless and fills your mouth; it's powerful with 15% alcohol and 6.2 grams of acidity, ripe but balanced. It should continue developing nicely in bottle. 16,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2020.

Aromatic with loamy earth, dark chocolate, dried sage and smoke notes, this rich, thickly textured red layers a core of baked black cherry fruit, vanilla and espresso with sinewy tannins. Firm and focused on the iron- and spice-accented finish. Tempranillo, Graciano and Garnacha. Drink now through 2035. 1,250 cases made, 200 cases imported.