A recent WB thread on Rioja prompted me to pull this 2010 Carlos Serres ‘Gran Reserva’ [Rioja] which I consumed over a couple of nights. This 14% abv blend of 85% tempranillo, 10% graciano, and 5% mazuelo grew on me over time, becoming quite enjoyable, even if not complex nor deep. It has a garnet robe, no fading at the edges, with a bouquet of pine and balsamic vinegar. It’s balanced between texture/fruit/acid, and glides along the glass. I’d put the fruit on the dried cherry side and whatever oak is used - at age 16 - is well absorbed. This bottling gets 36 months in barrel and then the same time in bottle before sale, and was purchased shortly after importation. I rarely see this commercial & value oriented producer so was interested to try their GR. It’s not going to win any panel tastings but it’s a good example of the region and I would put in the B+ zone, maybe notching it up if one likes ancillary varietals in their Rioja blends. (I’m not super enthused about sweaty graciano nor leathery mazuelo personally)
This was a great vintage in the region, and the rising tide lifted all the boats here. If one is exploring Rioja it’s worth calibrating the palate to the larger, well distributed bodegas too.