Pagos de Tahola Oak Aged Rioja 2005

Tasting note
Colour - Mid-depth ruby.

Aroma - Black cherry, prune and tobacco leaf aromas.

Taste - Silky textured, with dark plum, strawberry and redcurrant, wrapped in sweet vanilla oak.

	Type:Still Red Wine		Country:Spain		Appellation:Rioja DOC
	Grape Type:Tempranillo		Drink Before:January 2010		Body:Medium Bodied
	Alcohol:13.5%		Bottle Size:75cl		Bottle Code:38799

Description
This is a luscious, fine-tuned Rioja from the Chavarri family whose cellar has been up-and-running since 1882. Ruth Chavarri Muro is today in charge, the fifth generation of her family to take the helm. Quality is particularly high from this cellar as the grapes are planted at 650 metres, on excellent, limestone-rich soils. The vines are on average 50-60 years old, so only produce a small amount of really concentrated fruit.

Rioja is one of Spain's most prestigious regions, producing some of the country's finest reds. It was into here, just over the border from France, that winemakers, particularly from Bordeaux, spilled after their own vineyards were ravaged by the Phylloxera beetle. They hoped to find work.

The pesky insect soon followed, but in the meantime, these winemakers introduced their techniques of barrel-ageing and so began the tradition of long cask-ageing that continues to this day. We see it in their strict laws governing Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva wines, which dictate how long a wine must stay in barrel. Just in the last few years, these laws have been challenged by a wave of new winemakers who are experimenting with using French rather than American oak, newer wood, and leaving the wines for a shorter period.

Pagos de Tahola is pure Tempranillo from the exceptional 5-Star 2005 vintage. Ageing for six months in American oak barrels has added top notes of toasty vanilla and oaky spice to the luscious berry fruit of the wine.

International Wine Challenge 2007, United Kingdom