Bodegas Pujanza, Rioja (Spain) 2009

Pujanza is a first-rate Rioja producer, and this high-end wine sourced from a particular vineyard offers an indication of just how good the Bodega’s bottlings can be. There’s plenty of vanilla and oak toast in the aromas, and some added grip in the finish from wood tannins, but the fruit predominates in the wine’s performance at every stage, showing lovely notes of ripe red cherries and black plums. Sufficiently structured to develop positively for years of cellaring but thoroughly enjoyable already with reasonably robust foods, this is quite close to as good as young Rioja gets