Pesquera Millenium Gran Reserva 2018

The Fernández family has always had a well-deserved reputation for making reds that age gracefully in bottle and this Gran Reserva will certainly do that. Matured in new French wood, it's a focused, still youthful style with flavours of cassis and dark chocolate, plenty of chalky freshness and a layered, focused finish. 2024-30

Complex nose with plenty of sweet spices, pine cones, vanilla and black walnuts to the blackberries and black mushrooms. A hint of bergamot. Tight and creamy on the palate. Don’t be put off by the wood tannins if you open it and drink it while it is young. The fine-grained tannins mesh nicely with the full-bodied palate. While this is quite plush with an old-school Ribera del Duero style, the quality is still impressive. Needs time and should age well in the next 10-15 years. Better from 2026.

Restrained red and black fruit nose. The palate has great depth, energy and well-managed tannins; complex and rather classic with a long and pleasant aftertaste.