Score: 91/100
Zinio Selección de Suelos (as in Soil Selection) was born from a vineyard zoning project the winery conducted some 5 years ago. They analyzed the soil composition of the estate, focusing on their’s and Rioja’s main grape variety: Tempranillo.
Zinio Selección de Suelos from selecting some of the oldest vineyards on different types of soils: 75% from vines aged 40-80 years on Calcareous clay soils bringing deep color and flavor persistence, and 25% from younger vines on clay-alluvial soils bringing in more aromatic complexity of fruit vibrancy.
This is a 100% Tempranillo wine aged for 2 years in American and French oak wine barrels. Followed another 18 months maturation in bottle before the initial release, although it has now spent an additional 2.5 years in its glass container at the time this tasting and review is written.
Tasting Notes
This Rioja red comes in a very dark red color, black to the core, dense so that you do not see through, with a bright red containing purple hues to the rim.
The nose is intense and deep, dominated by intense dark-roasted cocoa characters, and powerful ripe cherry notes.
There are sweet ginger-bread-like spices and strong vanilla notes making it smell warmingly reassuring like a good spicy and buttery pastry.
Smoky notes of oak and toasted nuts complement the profile for an overall quite complex and intriguing smell. The hazelnut aromas are in fact very pronounced. Together with the cocoa ones, yes, there is a sense of smelling Nutella, but much deeper and complex, with dark ripe berry fruit and coffee on top. Tempting!
The palate is dense with plenty of tannins and a rich structure, but it’s very soft and velvety. The wealth of body and the dense tannins tickle your palate softly like silk in an enjoyable way, while many layers of flavors invade your mouth.
It’s fruitier on the palate than it was to smell at, the wine revealing vibrant fresh berries characters underlined by a good juicy acidity. Toasted flavors are here as well, surrounding the fruits and giving them depth and providing many layers of sweet spices, vanilla, caramel, and toasted nuts notes.
Overall
A very interesting, dense, layered and silky Rioja wine. Filled with ripe fruit characters, it is made in a rather modern style, having preserved the primary characters of the grapes. Those are amplified, mellowed and complexified by well-integrated oak that has also softened the tannic structured to provide an enjoyable silky feel.
Well made and providing an enjoyable balance between a characterful personality driven by juicy fruit and good acidity, and a soft oaky ripe and modern winemaking-driven feel.
Enjoy 🙂
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