Citrus, spice box, passion fruit; smooth-textured, ripe, easygoing style, pleasant.

Just looking at the technical sheet, I realized the 2009 Carmen Gran Reserva has the surname of Romeo's mother, and should be called 2009 Carmen Hilario Gran Reserva. Anyway, this is a homage to the winemaker's mother that must have liked the traditional wines and the label is very classical and the profile of the wine is one of the best modern-traditional or traditional-modern Riojas, combining the bright floral aromas with the subtle balsamic and the textbook spiciness of the Riojas from yesteryear. The palate is medium-bodied and you feel the hand of a great winemaker in the quality of those tannins perfectly integrated with the fruit and the long finish, lifted by great acidity which is not an easy feature for a warm vintage like 2009. If you want to imagine how the both Rioja worlds could converge, grab a bottle of this. This is even better than the 2008, with a very pure, clean profile, really showing the best of both worlds. Drinking beautifully already. Superb. The wine kept growing in the glass and growing on me, it might ultimately merit an even higher score! 4,000 bottles.