Marqués de Griñón Graciano 2011

"This was my first encounter with the 2010 Graciano (it is the first vintage), from vines grown on a chalk mother rock and aged for 20+ months in new and used French oak barrels. It has a nose of esparto grass and Mediterranean herbs, something that transported me more to Alicante or Murcia–Monastrell country–than to Rioja, showing ripe plums and a rustic touch, a little tree-bark-like with mint underneath. The palate shows plenty of tannins and good acidity, with some umami flavors reminiscent of meat broth. Unusual. 7,800 bottles were filled in May 2014, because the wine needed to be polished before bottling".