Gómez Cruzado Rioja Reserva 2014

92 points Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate): “[$35 list] The 2014 Reserva has more creaminess and influence from the élevage than other wines from more recent years. It’s very traditional, with balsamic notes of incense and cigar ash intermixed with forest floor and wild berries all in good harmony, coming through as integrated and balanced. The palate is medium to full-bodied with some dusty tannins and a twist of rusticity. After 18 months in French oak barrels, it was kept in concrete for two more years. It’s a canonical blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 5% Graciano. 30,000 bottles and 1,500 magnums produced. It was bottled in June 2018. Drink: 2020-2026. (Oct 2020)”

GÓMEZ CRUZADO ||
Founded in 1886, in the heart of Haro’s Barrio de la Estación, Gómez Cruzado is a historic cellar and one of only sixteen “Bodegas Centenarias” in all of Rioja. Gómez Cruzado is a unique boutique winery that blends a profound respect for Haro’s heritage of fine wines with an unflagging quest for the purest expression of terroir. The heart of the wines is in the vineyards, a mix of almost 100 different supervised plots across three well-defined regions:

RIOJA | SPAIN RIOJA ||
Rioja was the first Spanish wine region to obtain DO status, in 1925. In 1991, it was promoted to DOCa (Qualified Designation of Origin), a higher category reserved for wines maintaining a proven consistency and quality over a long period of time. Rioja has three distinct subregions (Alavesa, Alta & Baja) as well as stylistic diversity ranging from the traditional oxidative wines to the full throttle modern style.

RESERVA 2014 ||
BLEND | 80% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano & 10% Garnacha
VINEYARDS | Tempranillo and Graciano from the foot of the Sierra Cantabria mountains and along the lower course of the Najerilla River. The Garnacha is harvested from bush vines near Badarán. Vines cultivated in alluvial soils offer ripeness and elegance to the wine, while the vines grown in calcareous and ferrous clay soils contribute structure and silkiness.
WINEMAKING | Fermentaion in conical stainless steel followed by 18 months in new and 2nd year French oak barrels with an additional 2 years bottle aging in the cellar.