Majestic’s new exclusive (at least in the UK) Viña Pomal Rioja Gran Reserva is made by Bodegas Bilbaínas the longest-established bottling winery in Rioja.
With a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, all grapes are from Bodegas Bilbaínas’ own vineyards. This is the 2015 vintage and this wine is only produced in exceptional years. The wine matures in Bordeaux-style American oak barrels and undergoes an aging process exceeding five years.
Viña Pomal Rioja Gran Reserva has earned awards, winning accolades including the Great Gold Bacchus, a 94-point rating from James Suckling, a Master Medal from The Drinks Business Rioja Masters and a Gold Medal from the Mundus Vini Spring Tasting.
Upon tasting, this wine has classic Rioja aromas: rich cherries and raspberries with an initial taste profile that deepens with plummy notes. Initially, I found the taste too dominated by leather, liquorice, strong wood undertones and tannins, even after decanting for an hour. I guess this is because this is a ‘traditional’ style Rioja made with American oak as opposed to ‘modern’ style Rioja, usually made with French Oak. However, allowing the wine to rest in the bottle for two days transformed it remarkably to the point, for me, it became excellent. The tannins softened, melding beautifully with the fruit to reveal a mellow, luxurious richness while leather and liquorice harmonised with the plummy base.
This Rioja rewards patience but can also be enjoyed immediately by those, and there are many, who appreciate a robust, more tannic profile. I also suspect it would reward aging in the closed bottle. At £16.99 when you mix six at Majestic, it’s superb value compared to prices (€28) for this wine on the European continent.
