Cosme Palacio Tinto: young Rioja from Laguardia

The label says Vino de Laguardia, and that isn’t a detail. Laguardia is the village in Rioja Alavesa where Cosme Palacio sits, and this Tinto is its young, uncomplicated expression. No years on oak, no Reserva ambitions, just Tempranillo showing how the fruit tastes before the wood takes over.

That is refreshing from a house that also makes the classically oaky Glorioso Reserva. Where that wine leans on vanilla and coconut, this is about juice, freshness and directness.

In the glass: lively purple-red, young and clear. Fresh red cherry, raspberry, a layer of plum and a savoury touch that hints at bay leaf. Supple tannins, juicy acidity, a finish that is short but refreshing. This is Rioja you can drink lightly chilled, almost as a summer red.

Where it wins and where it gives way

The win is in the honesty. Without heavy oak you taste the grape and the village, not the cellar. For anyone who knows Rioja only from the sweet-oak style, this is a useful eye-opener.

The caveat: it lacks depth. This is a bottle for the first sip, not the third thought. The finish drops away fast and there is little structure to chew on. Honest at its price, but don’t expect a wine that develops in the glass.

Second point: drink it young. This style is built to enjoy fresh, not to lay down. A two-year-old bottle is fine, older serves no purpose.

When to pour the Cosme Palacio Tinto

Lightly chilled, around 14 degrees, with tapas, grilled vegetables, pizza, a weeknight pasta. The flexible house red of the Cosme Palacio range. If you want more body and oak, step up to the Crianza or the Glorioso Reserva.

Available through merchants with a Spanish range. The cheapest way to taste where Cosme Palacio can go without oak.

Producer

Bodegas Cosme Palacio

Wine

Cosme Palacio Tinto, Vino de Laguardia

Region

Rioja DOCa, Spain

Grape

Tempranillo

Bottle received as a press sample from Cosme Palacio. No payment, independent assessment.