2012 Rioja Reserva 'Hinia', Bodegas Martinez Lacuesta, Rioja, Spain

Using Tempranillo as its base, the wine also features Graciano and Mazuelo grapes. This is a coupage that is very characteristic of a Rioja produced from Haro vineyards that are over 40 years old.

It takes its name from the fossilised shells found in the soil from a time when the whole region was under the sea. The wine spends 36 months in the winery’s own American oak barrels and manually decanted six times throughout its ageing. This is a very fresh, smooth wine with a well-balanced acidity.

This is a charming wine. It has an intense cherry red colour with a marked garnet edge. In the nose its intensity and aromatic refinement are notable, with notes of ripe black fruit which are the prelude to an elegant range of balsamic notes with tobacco leaves, caramel, vanilla and chocolate. On the palate this new Hinia is fresh, with a well-balanced acidity. Its smooth tannins and agreeable structure offer a joyful sensation in the mouth. The time affords the wine an elegant, complex pleasure and bouquet. A homage to the refined classic wines from Haro.

Martinez Lacuesta are one of the oldest registered brands in Rioja, pre-dating the creation of the Rioja designation itself. The wines are predominantly made from Tempranillo grown high in Rioja Alta to the West of Haro, with smatterings of Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacha. The exception is the Campeador range which was created in 1917 to allow Martinez Lacuesta to expand their reach. Today these wines are made up of equal portions of Tempranillo from Rioja Alta and Garnacha from Rioja Baja.