Sierra Cantabria Colección Privada 2022

A rioja that delivers pleasure. Tar, graphite, iodine, ripe blackberries, dark chocolate, espresso and roasted spices. Firm, fine-grained tannins from the fruit and oak, with juicy, fleshy fruit and a long, spicy finish. 50% American oak and 50% carbonic maceration. Better in one more year. Drink from 2025. - Zekun Shuai, Senior Editor. 

The 2022 Colección Privada keeps the more modern (or neo-modern) profile and was produced with 50% whole clusters and the other half destemmed, with a little more impact from the barrels in the aromatics, coming through as spicy and peppery. This matured in 50% French and 50% American oak barrels, so they say it mixes the tradition (all American oak) and modernity (all French); and the élevage was 16 months. It has some dusty tannins with grip, the character of the 2022 tannins. 40,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2024. - Luis Gutiérrez.