Roda Reserva Magnum 2018

Roda Reserva Magnum (1.5 Litre) Rioja, Spain, 2018

Grapes: 92% Tempranillo, 6% Graciano and 2% Garnacha. Hand harvested fruit from 30 year old bush vines. 14 months' ageing in French oak (50% each in new and second use barrels)

Founded in 1987 in Haro, La Rioja, Roda use traditional viticulture: dry farming, head pruning, cover crops, sustainability, indigenous yeast

Producer Tasting Note:

The nose is intense, with very fresh red fruit, light and very fine. There is a lot of delicacy and balance. The wood is impeccably assembled and the fruit is especially fresh. The sensation in the nose grows as it is aired. Notes of very fine spices are appreciated.

The palate is of medium volume, filling the mouth. The tannin is polished and the touch is very pleasant. It has a fruity character profile of red fruits, among which the cherry stands out. It is long and fresh and floral details appear among the spicy notes. It has spaciousness and lightness at the same time. The influence of the 2018 vintage is noticeable, a cool year with rain which gave wines of lower volume and greater freshness.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"A rich nose of ripe blackcurrant, plum, sweet tobacco, chocolate and bouillon. It’s full-bodied with plush tannins and fresh acidity. Chocolatey and flavorful with a velvety texture. Excellent length. Drink now or hold."

94/100 points, James Suckling, October 2021

"Like the other wines from this vintage, the 2018 Roda is more austere, with less ripeness and alcohol than the 2019 (this is 14%) and with better freshness and drinkability, with some herbal undertones, freshness in the palate and some grainy tannins. This might not be as polished as the 2019, but I found more character here. The difficult vintage produced 137,199 bottles of a blend of 92% Tempranillo, 6% Graciano and 2% Garnacha. It was bottled in July 2020." Drink 2022-2028

93/100 points, Luis Gutierrez, WINE ADVOCATE, July 2022