Carlos Moro Garu Rioja Crianza | 2016

A case in point that you should look beyond the label, because this 2016 Rioja is as classic and tasty as it gets. Born into a winemaking family in Ribera del Duero, Carlos Moro is a force who oversees his namesake winery in Rioja, plus additional projects in Toro, Cigales, Rueda, and Ribeiro. Garu is an expression of the younger Tempranillo vines with Graciano and Mazuelo from the Rioja Alta region. Aged in American oak, the nose is pretty with plump red fruits, dusty rose, and charcuterie spice. Medium-plus in body, there's plenty of oomph on the palate, lifted by Tempranillo's tomato-tang acidity and groovy tannin. Perhaps the greatest vintage of the last ten years, this 2016 guarantees plenty of pleasure for the price. ~Allegra A