Hacienda Valvarés 2011, Doca Rioja
Tempranillo
Rioja, Spain
$20.95 (423509)
Critic Reviews (2)
This a lively, savoury fairly juicy young Rioja with lifted aromas of rosemary, mint, leather, vanilla and steak...
A very modern Rioja (the bottle may be a give-away) which is exuberant, rich and powerful. Bold and clean with...
Community Reviews (2)
The Valvarés lacks the subtlety and refinement of Bodegas Altanza's Lealtanza line, and it pushes the boundaries further into a New World style with an unabashed emphasis on chocolate, vanilla, licorice, and cola, but it still fits well into the balanced Altanza profile, just in a bolder way. The fruit is in the background, but there's a lot of it, dark cherry and red berries, with some tartness to offset the sweetness, and with time smoky, meaty notes emerge, along with new leather, to bring added complexity, resembling Shiraz, then Syrah. Fresh and vibrant, silky and luscious, it just works.