2009 Vuelta de Terca

The 2009 Vuelta de Terca comes from a single vineyard: a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 10% Garnacha. It has a lovely bouquet of dark broody black fruit, dried herbs, sandalwood and a touch of lavender that is very complex and alluring. The palate is full-bodied with silky smooth dark berry fruit struck through with a keen silver thread of acidity. Extremely pure and focused, this Rioja delivers panache and style in droves. This is a brilliant expression of Rioja. David Sampedro Gil is the winemaker behind DSG Vineyards. It is his personal project, sourcing old vineyard plantings from around Rioja Alavesa and employing environmentally friendly techniques for his small-production range, often following biodynamic tenets. I tasted these wines in London and was immediately taken by their personality and purity. It is becoming a cliche, but they instantly transported me to the foothills in Rioja! I will commence my look at Sampedro’s wines with his joint venture with Alberto Orte, Michael Quinlan and Patrick Mata that is under the “Cia del Vinos del Atlantico” title. Importer: Ole Imports, New Rochelle, NY; tel. (914) 740-4724, www.oleimports.com, and through Bibendum in the (UK)