Bodegas Riojanas Puerta Vieja Crianza 2005

Old-school Rioja, unashamedly so. Dried cherry, cola and vanilla lead on the nose, with cedar warmth from American oak and a faint note of tobacco underneath. Dry and a little chewy on the palate, dusty tannins framing sweet red fruit before the oak asserts itself on a firm, lingering finish. The 80% tempranillo backbone, filled out with mazuelo and graciano, gives honest, unpretentious character without any attempt at modernisation. Not a wine for deep analysis — just straightforward Rioja doing what it does.