1978 Rioja Reserva, Bodegas Berberana

A quick chicken, onion, sun dried tomatoe and cream pasta sauce called out either for a young, upfront, acidic wine or a mature, round, multi layered wine. I opted for the latter.

1978 Rioja Reserva, Bodegas Berberana
I drink Rioja very seldom these days, even though it was these (mature) wines that got me hooked some 30 years ago. Ah well, taste changes, even though every time I open a mature bottle of Rioja I wonder why I don´t drink it more often.
The nose of this 39 year old Reserva is soft spoken with a very fine sweetness and aromas of sun warm asphalt, vanilla cooked red fruits, ripe strawberries and Christmas spices. Very, very good.
The taste is round, easy going but still has a good backbone and displays notes of raspberry licorice, dried strawberries, moist earth and a touch of mint. A fine acidity. Fully mature and maybe then some but a very nice drink on this Friday evening.
88p   (tasted 2017/09)