Torre de Oña Finca Martelo Reserva 2016 Bottle size: 750ml

‘The 2016 Finca Martelo comes from one of the longest harvests in their history. It's a blend of Tempranillo with 6% other varieties, Mazuelo, Garnacha and even white Viura intermixed in the field with a south-facing slope on very white soils. The grapes were hand picked, destemmed and crushed, then put through a seven-day cold soak before fermenting (uncrushed) in stainless steel followed by malolactic that took 98 days. The wine matured in used oak barrels, 80% American and 20% French, for 24 months with four traditional rackings. This wine has a separate winery with smaller vats for each of the plots, and the wine was kept in vat for a further six months before it was bottled in June 2020. It has 14.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.57. It has a lively and young color and a very expressive nose (the cold soak and the semi-carbonic maceration), and there is a strong spiciness despite the fact they never use any new oak. It's mellow and round, with glossy tannins and a very gentle mouthfeel, with good complexity and those chalky tannins. This is a young and more modern wine than the range from la Rioja Alta. This is a wine that was developed between 2005 and 2012, and they saw the mix of barrels worked better than a single origin. 2022-2030’ – Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, 95/100

‘Aromas of ripe dark fruit, walnuts, currant bush and bark. Medium-to full-bodied with creamy tannins and bright acidity. Polished and silky with mellow fruit character and a fresh, floral touch to it. Firm finish with notes of chocolate. Drink or hold.’ – James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, 93/100

‘It has an intense, bright ruby colour with a pink rim. Complex nose with raspberries, blueberries and blackberries followed by balsamic aromas, with delicate spicy notes such as liquorice, clove, pepper and patisserie. Elegant and balanced on the palate, with freshness and sleek tannins. The long aftertaste brings back hints of red fruits and spices.’ – Winemaker