2008 Marques de Riscal Reserva

The 2008 Reserva seems like a much more serious wine, with fresh notes of cherries, some leather and pepper and a tight palate that reveals good balance, purity of flavors and good length. It should age well, as it has good balance. Drink 2014-2019. Marques de Riscal purchased the vineyards (300 hectares) and the brand Marques de Arienzo from Pernod-Ricard just before the 2010 harvest (the rest of the vineyards and the winery were acquired by Bodegas Muriel). They have renamed the wine Arienzo de Marques de Riscal, which might be a little confusing for consumers. But the bigger news is that the improvements in viticulture in the last few years can be appreciated in the wines from the 2010 vintage, which I had the chance to preview in a visit to the winery just before joining The Wine Advocate. The style for Marques de Riscal has always been for powerful wines that were bottled and released much earlier than the rest of wines from Rioja following the Bordeaux model. Imported by Southern Wine & Spirits; www.southernwine.com