It’s great when people tell us that they like Rioja, but we don’t really know what they mean, because there are so many different styles. It’s a bit like someone saying they like Picasso. The most familiar style of red Rioja has flavours of plum, coconut and vanilla (thanks to the widespread use of American oak), but there are myriad other styles from roble and crianza to reserva, gran reserva and the blue period. This example is quite sleek, balsamic and exotic with notes of black cherry, sieved blackberries, cola nut and pudding spices. It eschews the use of wide-grained American oak, which allows more air to penetrate, in favour of French oak and a glossier, more polished style. 13.5% alc. Drink now-2030.