2014 - Reserva, Dominio Aguila, Ribera del Duero

The 2014 Reserva is the winery's flagship wine, a wine produced to showcase the vineyards from the village La Aguilera next to Aranda de Duero in the province of Burgos. It's produced with the field blend dominated by Tempranillo from old vineyards in different parts of the village picked and fermented together. The full clusters were foot trodden and fermented in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts, and malolactic was very slow (it took eight months in 2014!) in oak vats. The élevage was extended to 31 months in French oak barrels of different sizes and ages. The wine has an herbal twist that provides freshness, and the oak feels very integrated. It has a magical perfume, in a great classical Ribera del Duero, with more body and structure; it has almost the same freshness as the 2013 but with more depth, compensated by complexity. It opens up nicely in the glass. It should age for a very long time in bottle, but it's already approachable. 9,850 bottles and 167 magnums were filled in May 2017.

Mostly Tempranillo. 33 months in French and American oak. Soils are clay, sand and limestone. Deep crimson. Dark and smoky, really dark fruit. Still very chewy. Although the tannins are still compact and need more time, they are refined in texture. Needs more time to let the fruit escape the tannin framework. (JH)