La Rioja Alta Vina Arana Reserva 1997

Pale brick with a fading garnet core — this is a wine showing its age honestly. Dried plum, mocha and cedar lead the nose, with milk chocolate softness and a faint high-toned lift adding complexity. The red fruit on the palate still has some life in it, but coconut-heavy oak dominates and hasn't settled into the wine the way you'd hope at this stage. A drying finish exposes things further — aromatic spice and dried florals linger, but a sharp edge of acidity signals that the window has likely passed.