La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Gran Reserva 2014

Dried cherry, candied rose, spiced oak and a trace of coconut, the classic Viña Arana signature, with tobacco and licorice emerging as it opens in the glass. Generous and plush on the palate, fruitcake and floral pastille notes moving over a quiet earthy base. Velvety tannins give the wine a supple frame without dulling the underlying energy, and the finish is long, faintly smoky, with that floral lift holding right through. Drinking well now and should continue to reward through 2030.