This Garnacha and Tempranillo blend is the ever appealing entry-level wine of Alvaro Palacios’ Rioja estate. Alvaro’s name is most often mentioned in connection with Priorat, but his attachment to Rioja is at least as strong, as he was born and raised in this hot, warm and windy area, on his family’s estate. La Vendimia means vintage, and the essence of the wine is to convey the taste, the freshness and the character of the grapes that arrive during the harvest. Aged for only six months, it’s a young wine, which appears delicate next to the matured, heavy red wines typical of the region. The palate is also lively with cherries, and is juicy, with fine minerality and long flavours.