'Lanzaga' Rioja de Pueblo Lantzeigo 2019
$110.00 RRP
‘el Monte’ at Lantziego is the ultimate meeting point of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Lanzaga is the gently-oaked big sister to LZ. It’s a village wine, combining 35 plots, handled separately and blended after selection. Aged a year or so: half the wine matures in relatively neutral 1500-2000 litre wood; the rest in a mix of 225 and 600 litre barrels (at most 10% new oak). A natural wine of the earth and mountain air.
A lively herbs-in-mountain-air, wafting red thyme, sage, lavender, wild-skinsy-pippy juniper and sloe (all are prolific on el Monte). Through these, staccato jolts of licorice, anise, electric red dirt, black pepper. It's deep and mineral with lots of bosky woodsy aromatics. The palate is open and richly expressive to start, and gathers tannin, acid and spice to a long, gathered, relaxed finish. Excellent vertical energy as well as structural line makes for a wine of great life, which journeys gravelly-silken. Licorice, dark mineral, red thyme. Anise drops on a cherry skin, the cherry’s on a rock. Sky above. Red dirt below.