Urbina Crianza Rioja 2012

Bodegas Urbina Crianza, Rioja, Spain, 2012

Grapes: Hand-picked, 95% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and Mazuelo from 20+ year old vines. Aged 12 months in American (95%) and French (5%) with a minimum of 6 months in bottle before release.

Urbina is located in the town of Cuzcarrita del Rio Tiron in the Rioja Alta and the winemaking team is headed by Pedro Benito Urbina. A four generation family producer, Urbina has 75ha of vineyards mostly planted to Tempranillo. Bottling and ageing their own wines since 1975 the bodega has invested heavily in new equipment and now makes their wine with a more organic approach.

Ruby colour with garnet hues, mature, strawberry, vanilla nose. Balanced, creamy smooth, velvety texture of red berries, nuts, spice flavours, structured, long lasting, persistent aftertaste.

"Even the Crianzas at Bodegas Urbina are released late, with lots of barrel and bottle age. Showing the sweetness and lightness of touch that are the hallmarks of the bodega's reds, this pure Tempranillo is spicy, savoury and very smooth with palate-caressing tannins and a balsamic flourish"

92/100 points, Tim Atkin MW, Rioja Special Report 2021

Drink with a Spanish pork stew, or fried & salted red peppers.