2007 Roda 1

The Tempranillo grapes for the 2007 Roda I Reserva are sourced from head-pruned Tempranillo vines over 30 years old, mostly around Haro, that ferment in big oak vats with their own yeasts and are transferred to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation, where the wine matures for 16 months. 2007 was a cold vintage with mildew problems during the growing season and a late harvest which resulted in a true Atlantic vintage with more stuffing than 2008. Here the fruit is darker, black cherries and black plums complemented by notes of very fine spices, with good depth and showing signs of some developed complexity. The medium-bodied palate reveals a pure, delineated, clean wine with fine acidity. It finishes long, with some dusty tannins. It develops a deep Rioja character as the wine opens up in the glass. Give it one or two years to develop some more of than incipient complexity and enjoy over the next decade. Very elegant and fine; it should age with style. Drink 2015-2027. I couldn’t help but talk about the 2013 harvest with Roda’s director Agustin Santolaya, and he told me that 2013 is a complicated Atlantic vintage, with pitfalls and difficulties. They started harvesting around October 5, and by October 14 they had picked 25% of the grapes. When queried about the recent vintages, Agustin told me he favors 2010 from the trio of very good vintages 2009-2010-2011. They have slightly reduced the amount of new oak in the wines: it’s all used for Sela, all new for Cirsion and around 40% new oak for Roda and Roda I, that was reduced from 50%, which was the maximum used in the past. When they started they were considered modern, but they now are called the most classical from the modernists. 2013 marks their 25th anniversary, which they are celebrating with a number of vertical tastings around the world, with an exclusive cuvee of Cirsion 2012 that will contain 5% Graciano for the first time ever! Imported by Kobrand, New York, NY; www.kobrandwine.com; and Plaza Cellars, San Juan, PR; tel. (787) 781-2070; www.plazacellars.com