Pagos de Tahola Selección de Martin 2015

Perfectly mature, barrel-aged reds have been Rioja’s trademark for centuries. And fourth-generation Ruth Chavarri makes some of the best we’ve tasted.

For her latest release, she went straight to El Toro, her family’s oldest vineyard and home to a plot of gnarled, 50-year-old Tempranillo vines. Dotted with huge (fun to climb!) holm oaks, it’s also a favorite stomping ground for her young nephew, Martin, who is the inspiration for this very wine.

Don’t let the playful origins of the cuvée name fool you, though – this is serious stuff. Ruth and her vineyard team hand-harvested the grapes during Rioja’s officially “Very Good” 2015 vintage; after two years mellowing out in expensive French oak barrels, plus an additional four years resting in the bottle, “Selección de Martin” was released to huge acclaim.

Gilbert & Gaillard judges awarded it 92 points and a ‘Premium Gold’ medal. They wrote, “Enticing spicy, vanilla-like nose with liquorice, black fruits and a menthol edge. Lots of finesse on the palate which is silky, lively and precise.”

The old vines of El Toro have painfully tiny grape yields – meaning Ruth only made a small amount of this beauty, and you WILL have to hurry to get your share.