MURIEL RESERVA

Not named after an elderly relative, Muriel is a combination of the winemakers' family name of Murua, and Elciego, the name of the village where the winery is located, in the chalky soils of the Rioja-Alavesa. Classic oak-driven tempranillo – this wine has spent two years in French and American wood and you can certainly taste it – that’s had time to mellow into a spicy, rich wine that tastes full of cloves, mace and bay flavours. Definitely a classic Rioja with a nose and palate that share the classsic leather and wood complexity of the region. The oak falls into balance as soon as you put it with food – say, lamb covered in herbs or a sticky, slow-cooked beef casserole. Ok I'm making myself hungry writing these notes now! As you can probably tell I rather like this one.