Bodegas Riojanas Monte Real Rioja Reserva 1998

Medium ruby with a lively rim. Redcurrant, woodsmoke, toasted hazelnut, and forest floor on the nose, darker and more brooding than the Viña Albina. In the mouth it's generous and round, a cushion of ripe fruit easing the acidity into comfortable equilibrium. Tannins on the finish are firm but well-ripened, never edgy, closing with composed, unhurried length.