La cueva del contador rioja 2020 (Bodegas Contador)

Cellar for 20 years or more. Decant for 2 hours or more before serving. This is a classic, top-notch Rioja wine, crafted from the Tempranillo grape. All of the fruits were sourced from within a 5km radius of each other, from prime plots in the villages of Labastida and San Vicente de la Sonsierra.

It opens up slowly, with a sumptuous nose of cassis, blackberry, balsamic, pungent herbs, and baking spices. La Cueva del Contador is a product of Bodegas Contador, founded in 1995, and spearheaded żeby the renowned Benjamin Romeo.

If you enjoy wines with a charming backstory, look no further, because Romeo began making wine in a centuries-old cave, carved into the rock below the castle at San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Since then, he has founded his own state-of-the-art cellar, but his wines retain that same romantic rusticity.

On the palate, this Rioja is fresh and sinewy, with finely-grained tannins that lend texture to a long, satisfying finish. Look for notes of vanilla, cinnamon, liquorice, and dried herbs alongside the ripe black fruit, with a healthy undercurrent of minerality.

The Tempranillo spent 18 months ageing in French oak barrels before bottling. This is a wine worthy of roasted red meat, spicy cheeses, or tomato-based stews.