Big Earl - Tempranillo - Cariñena Reserva D.O.P.

A Reserva Tempranillo wine that is more than a match for a similarly aged Rioja - yet a fraction of the price.

Vintage: 2014

Origin: Bodegas San Valero, Cariñena D.O.P.

Taste guide: Full bodied, strawberry, and raspberry fruit, vanillan notes, very smooth, oaked

75cl - 14.5% - natural cork closure

A reserva wine produced by Bodegas San Valero in the Cariñena Denomincación in the Aragon region in north-eastern Spain. Made from Spain's most prestigious red grape Tempranillo, perhaps most famous for Rioja, and vinified in a very similar manner. Traditional fermentation was followed by 12 months ageing in American oak, with a further 2 years bottle ageing in the Bodega before release.

The colour is bright, intense cherry-red with a tawny rim. The nose has intense aromas, with fine toasty notes from the oak and hints of red berries against a light background of stewed fruit. Notes of vanilla and spices contributed by the oak during cask ageing. The palate is round, velvet and meaty with a lovely integration of the sweet tannins from the grapes and those from the wood, resulting in a smooth yet robust wine.

It is powerful yet elegant and delicate.

This wine was labelled specifically for the pub chain Greene King where it was on their menus for £16 and sold in their retail outlets for £8.50.

The label is brash and unsubtle - but ignore that and enjoy the wine. You don't drink the label!

Yet another wine cleared by a Brewery due to the forced closure of their pubs and restaurants.

If you like Rioja, you will love this, and at a fraction of a Rioja price - just £5.95.