Vina Pomal Rioja Gran Reserva 1998

I bought this wine last year at the beginning of the summer. I'm not a big Rioja drinker but it was a good price (£7.99 from £12.99) and has some good bottle age.

I opened one last summer, and it was a big mistake. It was far too warm (both the wine and the weather) to enjoy a bottle like this. It tasted like warm tomato juice. I decided to leave my remaining bottles in my wine rack for a more suitable occasion.

One such occasion came up on the weekend when a friend of ours made a lamb stew (using Donald Russell meat - very good). The wine was much better this time - complex juicy fruit nose with a light, strawberry fruit palate. Good finish. The last few sips of the bottle I thought detected a stewed-fruit character (reminiscent of the bottle I had in the summer), but perhaps the bottle had warmed up a bit too much. Not overly deep or complex, but it has some class, and is a bargain at this price.

Vina Pomal

Rioja Gran Reserva 1998

Rioja, Spain

Majestic

£7.99 (£12.99)

3.5/5