Wine Review: sultry red from Coto de Imaz in Rioja that is quickly becoming a new fave

Rioja wines are awesome and this one is no exception.

Rioja ranks at the top of my fave wine regions, alongside Chianti Classico and Bordeaux. It’s one of the wines wines I reach for out of habit, when I can’t decide on anything else or don’t want to take my chances on something New World. I have an Old World palate and will unconsciously gravitate to these wines unless I make a conscious effort to drink outside Europe. 

This is a modern style of Rioja, with rich juicy cherry fruit aromas and flavours, a hint of toasty spice and oregano, a judicious amount of French oak vanilla, some earthy leather and a lovely dusty, slate-y texture.  If this wine were a person, it would be a really hot vaquero eating Nibs on horseback.  

QUICK NOTES
Name: Coto de Imaz Reserva Rioja 
Vintage: 2014
Region: Rioja, Spain
Grape: 100% Tempranillo
Taste: cherry Nibs, leather saddle, tobacco, oregano, French oak vanilla
Texture: dusty, slate-y tannins – like licking a piece of slate (in a good way)
Rating: 4 hot vaqueros out of 5