The 2006 Viña Real Gran Reserva is a beautiful and quite classic, riper-styled vintage for this great bottling, wafting from the glass in a deep and black fruity nose of cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, a fine base of...
The 2006 Viña Real Gran Reserva is a beautiful and quite classic, riper-styled vintage for this great bottling, wafting from the glass in a deep and black fruity nose of cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, a fine base of dark soil, coconut, Rioja spice tones, incipient notes of the meatiness to come, just a whisper of pepper and a lovely, understated mix of vanillin and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is suave, full-bodied and quite velvety on the attack, with a plump core of fruit, fine soil signature,, ripe tannins and lovely length and grip on the well-balanced and complex finish. This is a warmer year in Rioja and the wine does not have quite the same bounce on the palate as the 2007 Viña Real Gran Reserva, but it is also more ready to go right now and really is a lovely example of this bottling. While it will continue to age for many decades to come, the wine is already drinking very well indeed. (Drink between 2015-2050)