2017 Bodegas Lan Culmen Rioja

Recently opened a bottle of 2017 Bodegas LAN Culmen Rioja. Nice aromas of ripe red and black fruit and a spicy oak touch. On the palate it was full bodied and quite structured for a Rioja but really well done with the structure not overwhelming the body of the wine. The structure softened a touch on days 2 and 3 which means this probably would've benefitted from a decant on day one. This wine is very traditional on one hand but in it's structuring unique. It was aged for 25 months in new French oak which is less common in Rioja as you typically see mostly used American or Slovenian oak and that's probably why this has such an interesting structure and a little more precision and less rusticity than many other Riojas. Anyways, I really enjoyed this wine and will definitely buy again. Probably not right for a first experience with Rioja but if you're already a fan of Tempranillo, this wine is definitely worth a try.