Reserva Especial 2006

Urbina are a fascinating mix of Rioja via location and terroir specifics and Rioja via winemaking (the Reserva etcetera fetish for wood and racking). The Reserva is aged as much as 3 years in mixed FR/US casks, and Gran Reserva for more than 3. The wines are often racked to stainless during this ageing, for checking, stabilising, re-blending, confirmation … they are also aged for a couple of years in stainless after ageing. All are naturally stabilised without fining or filtration.

2006 has a heightened red tea note, and really great fruit depth, as you would expect from this opulent vintage. That said, it’s classic Urbina house style: all that red note, vegetal, dry mulch and cedar forest cold air perfume. There’s tobacco with clovey woodiness, licorice and orris root, and earthiness both ‘shroomy and mineral. It’s delicious, savoury and rounded with lovely tea tannin stripes.